In 2008, President Ma Ying-jeou began actively promoting cross-strait policies and relations, as well as direct flights with Mainland China. In June of 2009, the “MRT Neihu Line” was completed and opened for service, and on October 8 of the same year, the Muzha Line and Neihu Line were merged to form the “Wenshan-Neihu Line.” The establishment of this external transportation network effectively enhanced the competitive advantage of the airport. In addition, the advent of electronic tickets also made inbound travel even more convenient.

The number of flights and amount of passengers gradually steadied in 2009. Now, even people who are not catching a flight can go and eat there, visit the newly established “Intelligent Library,” or go to the Taipei SongShan Airport Observation Deck that was just renovated and opened on November 9, 2011. This has not only made a good impression on passengers and people visiting the Taipei SongShan Airport, but has also given people a chance to once again get to know this airport that has survived two major boom and busts and is now more than 60 years old.

In recent years, the cross-strait direct flights from Taipei SongShan Airport have gradually become the new preferred way for Northeast-Asians to come to Taiwan for tourism, making the airport very busy and filling the airport hall with passengers speaking all kinds of languages. On June 14, 2010, flights to and from the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport were opened, and, on October 31 of the same year, flights to and from Japan’s Tokyo Haneda Airport were also opened. There are also plans to launch direct flights between Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, Korea in March of 2012, to save the travel time and cost. In the future, Taipei SongShan Airport may be able to transform itself into a business and tourism airport, giving passengers another option for traveling, providing unparalleled convenience, and realizing the vision of the “Golden Flight Circle of Northeast Asia.” Although Taipei SongShan Airport has a strong rival: Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei SongShan Airport has some very strong advantages, including located in a downtown area, with access to food, shopping, hotels, transportation, and recreational facilities that is much more convenient that Taoyuan International Airport. In addition, Taipei SongShan Airport’s flight routes are also clearly differentiated from those of Taoyuan International Airport. This could in fact be a new opportunity for Taipei SongShan Airport to advance into the future of Taiwan’s air travel and create a new peak in its passenger volume!

(Source: Special Issue for the 60th Anniversary of Taipei SongShan Airport, historical documents provided by Mr. Zhongzheng Tang, the Head of Jingzhung Borough)