Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport is aiming to add two destinations to its network annually.
The airport wants to focus in particular on expanding its European network, which is only serviced by Taiwanese carriers China Airlines and EVA Airways. At Routes, it is talking to British Airways, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Air France.
"We have China Airlines and EVA flying into some places of Europe but no European carriers flying to Taiwan. If the services and frequencies increase, passengers will have more choices and this will drive traffic," says Chia-Jui Hsu, general manager of the airport's business planning and marketing.
It is also targeting South America and Africa, where it has no connectivity.
Aiming to become a hub airport in east Asia by 2030, Taoyuan International is also renovating its Terminal 1, which will be completed by 2013.
The airport's passenger throughput is expected to exceed 28 million in 2012, still within the 32 million capacity of both terminals.
To prepare for future growth, it plans to start construction of a fourth terminal by 2014 that will be operational by 2018. A tender for consultancy of the project has been issued and a detailed design will be drawn up by 2013.
Terminal 3, together with a remote concourse, is expected to add 43 million to the airport's capacity.
It now has seven low-cost carriers operating from its airport - with Scoot and Peach added to the list this year.
"The LCCs don't want aerobridges; they want faster check in, and cheaper charges. So we're thinking how to provide solutions and one is perhaps to adjust their slots' timings," says Hsu, adding that it is also studying whether to build a low-cost terminal, or to carve out a section of the existing terminals for their use.
"Traffic by LCCs is growing two to three times faster than that of the full-service carriers. They are definitely becoming a very important segment," says Hsu.
Source: Flight Daily News
