Former Kaohsiung official revives 24-hour airport plan, citing current airport's limitations

Former Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing has revisited the long-standing proposal for a new 24-hour international airport in Kaohsiung, expressing frustration over its decades-long stagnation. Yang lamented the outdated and cramped state of the current Kaohsiung International Airport, particularly its arrival facilities, which he feels are inferior to those in Southeast Asian countries.

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Every time I return from abroad, Kaohsiung Airport is old and small (especially the arrival hall), even worse than in Southeast Asian countries. I feel incredibly depressed.

He recalled his own efforts over 20 years ago to establish an airport through land reclamation in Mituo, a plan that was ultimately rejected by the executive branch. Yang noted that the "Nanshan Airport Plan," which involves reclaiming land for a new airport, has been discussed for nearly 40 years, from the administration of former Mayor Wu Den-yih to the current Mayor Chen Chi-mai, yet remains unrealized.

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The Nanshan Airport Plan, involving land reclamation to build an international airport, has been planned since Mayor Wu Den-yih and is still being discussed by Mayor Chen Chi-mai, nearly 40 years later. Based on the current situation, the Nanshan Airport Plan will remain unchanged even in another 30 years.

Yang highlighted the current airport's shortcomings, including insufficient runway length and a curfew, which force high-tech products, such as those from TSMC, to be transported to Taoyuan Airport for export. This process is time-consuming and carries significant risks for valuable cargo. To address these issues, Yang suggested undergrounding the Gaosong Road and removing a portion of the Xiaopingding hills. He also proposed a political solution to the curfew problem through negotiation with local residents, challenging Mayor Chen Chi-mai and future mayoral candidates to demonstrate their political acumen.

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Over 20 years ago, I proposed acquiring over 700 hectares of fish pond land in Mituo and reclaiming land to the west to build runways. It is truly regrettable that it was not accepted by the then-Executive Yuan's Council for Economic Planning and Development!