Taichung International Airport

Taichung International Airport (Chinese: 臺中國際機場) (IATA: RMQ, ICAO: RCMQ), previously known as Ching Chuan Kang Airport (清泉崗機場), is an international airport located in Taichung, Taiwan, which is used for both commercial and military purposes.The military part is called Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, the largest air base in Taiwan. It is also the third international airport in Taiwan, with scheduled services to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Taichung International Airport

臺中國際機場
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Civil
OperatorCivil Aeronautics Administration
Ministry of National Defense
ServesGreater Taichung
LocationTaichung City, Taiwan
Elevation AMSL663 ft / 203 m
Coordinates24°15′53″N 120°37′14″E
Map
RMQ
Location of airport in Taiwan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 12,005 3,659 Concrete
Statistics (2018)
Aircraft Movements30,838
Passenger movements2,638,774
Airfreight movements in tonnes3,757.1
Taichung Airport Terminal 1 Lobby
Taichung Airport Terminal 2 Departure Lobby
Taichung Airport ramp

History
Ching Chuan Kang Air Base airfield

Taichung International Airport was constructed during the era of Japanese rule and was named Kōkan Airport (Japanese: 公館空港). The United States Air Force (USAF) had been garrisoning the base with two fighter squadrons until the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty came into force on March 3, 1955. The airport then expanded in 1954 according to the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, and later renamed Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (CCK) in memory of General Qiu Qingquan. In 1966 the American Air Force established a joint forces air-base at CCK. It was the largest air force base in the Far East at the time, allowing Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers to land. During the Vietnam War, CCK became a depot for the USAF. The US Military used CCK and Shuinan Airport to run many of its long-distance Vietnam, Cambodia and Laotian bombing, scouting and cargo transport runs during the Vietnam War era. This base was shut down and most American facilities were removed after U.S. established diplomatic relations with China in 1979.[1]

Construction of passenger facilities was completed in September 2003 and civilian services began on March 5, 2004, replacing the old Shuinan Airport located closer to downtown Taichung. Ching Chuan Kang Airport has since become the only airport serving Taichung. The airport was promoted to an international airport on January 3, 2017, and renamed Taichung International Airport (臺中國際機場).[2]

In 2003, with the demand to develop cross-strait and other international air routes from Taichung City, Taiwanese officials made the decision to transfer airports from Shuinan Airport (TXG) to RMQ; since RMQ had been for the airbase for ROCAF, the Taiwanese CAA held negotiations with the air force, which led to the air force allowing an edge for building a new civilian terminal. The first terminal was completed in 2004, and all flights moved from TXG to RMQ soon afterwards. In 2008, officials decided to build another terminal. Terminal 2 now handles all international/cross-strait flights, while the older Terminal 1 serves domestic flights.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
China Eastern Airlines Kunming, Nanjing
EVA Air Macau, Seoul–Incheon
Fly Gangwon Yangyang[3]
HK Express Hong Kong
Mandarin Airlines Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hualien, Kinmen, Meixian, Naha, Ningbo, Penghu, Tokyo–Narita, Wuxi
Tigerair Taiwan Macau
T'way Air Busan,[4] Seoul–Incheon
Uni Air Guangzhou, Kinmen, Nangan, Penghu, Shenzhen
VietJet Air Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City

Statistics
Busiest routes from Taichung (2018) [5][6]
Rank Airport Category Passengers % Change 2018 / 17 Carriers
1 Hong Kong International 720,648 1.9% Mandarin Airlines, Cathay Dragon, HK Express
2 Kinmen Domestic 516,630 3.0% Uni Air, Far Eastern Air Transport
3 Penghu Domestic 435,211 3.8% Uni Air, Far Eastern Air Transport
4 Ho Chi Minh City International 225,329 39.9% Mandarin Airlines, VietJet Air
5 Macau International 209,976 13.9% EVA Air, Tigerair Taiwan

See also

References
  1. Taichung Airport
  2. "清泉崗機場正名　台中國際機場揭牌-風傳媒" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2017-01-30.
  3. http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201911200022.aspx
  4. Liu, Jim. "T'Way Air expands Taichung service in Sep/Oct 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. "國際及兩岸定期航線班機載客率－按航線分" (PDF). CAA. CAA. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. "國內航線班機載客率－按航空公司及航線分" (PDF). CAA (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 January 2019.
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