Taipei Air Station - 1966 - - - " What you have in the end are memories"......... Photo Courtesy of Richard Reesh.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sungshan Airport is Now Taipei International Airport

Back in our Taiwan days, most of us arrived and departed via Sungshan Airport (TSA) military side, depending on when you were in Taiwan, you may have used the civilian side on occasion.

In 1979, after our closure and departure from Taiwan, Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (CKS) was opened on the west side of Taoyuan AB, a 45 minute to one hour drive southwest from Taipei.

After the Chiang Kai-shek facility opened, all international flights were moved from Sungshan, which you will remember as being close to downtown Taipei to the new international airport.

Sungshan was then converted to serve only Taiwan domestic flights.


Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Ramp

Some years later, Chiang Kai-shek International Airport was renamed Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, they still carry the CKS identification.

This past weekend, Sungshan Airport, was renamed, Taipei International Airport (TSA)  and the first International Flights from and to other Asian airports began.

Here's an article from the TAIPEI TIMES on the first day of operation at the newly renamed Sungshan Airport.

 Terminal at the old Sungshan now Taipei International Airport

Those of you who resided in the FASD Hostel in the HSA East Compound must be rejoicing with me that we are no longer living in the old hostel.  The Hostel is long gone, but the area is once again experiencing  the deafening noise of large jet aircraft dropping out the sky on final approach to Taipei International Airport.

The Taipei Floral Expo opens this week.  The folks visiting the Expo areas on the old East Compound area will be thrilled and frightened the first time a lumbering jet roars over their heads..

Taipei is forever changing... for the better..


3 comments:

Victor said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_Songshan_Airport Regular cross-strait charter flights to mainland China started on July 4, 2008, with Songshan receiving the majority of flights.

Hence, Songshan Airport regained its position as an "international" airport on July 4, 2008?

Anonymous said...

"Regular cross-strait charter flights to mainland China started on July 4, 2008, with Songshan receiving the majority of flights."

It didn't say "Regular International flights to mainland China".. only said "Regular cross-strait flights to mainland China"... so it did not become an "international" airport on July4, 2008.

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