Taipei's Air Travel: Airports And Accessibility

Taipei, Taiwan, is served by two airports: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE, ICAO: RCTP) and Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA). Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the primary airport for international arrivals and departures, while Taipei Songshan Airport, the older of the two, primarily serves domestic flights around Taiwan.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

The airport features a wide range of facilities, including dining options, shopping, banking services, and more. There are plenty of places to eat, both before and after security screening, including fast-food outlets, cafés, bars, and a mix of Taiwanese, Chinese, and Western restaurants. The duty-free shopping is extensive, offering a range of boutique outlets and locally-based brands selling souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, books, liquor, and tobacco products. Bank branches, ATMs, and currency exchange services are available throughout both terminals. Car rental services are located in the arrivals lobby, and metered taxis are available outside the terminal.

The airport opened for commercial operations in 1979 as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and was renamed in 2006. It is one of two international airports serving Taipei, with the other being Taipei Songshan Airport, which is located within the city and primarily serves domestic and regional travel. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is an important regional transhipment centre, passenger hub, and gateway for destinations in Asia. In 2016, it was ranked the best airport for its size in the Asia-Pacific region by Airports Council International.

Taipei Songshan Airport

The airport covers an area of 182 hectares (450 acres) and features a civilian section with scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. Taipei Songshan Airport is not open 24 hours; it opens at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 11:00 p.m. It is accessible via the Songshan Airport MRT Station on the Wenhu (Brown) Line, with Songshan Airport being just three stops from downtown Taipei.

Transport links to the city

Taipei has two airports: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (also referred to as Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport) and Taipei Songshan Airport. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the main airport for tourists visiting Taipei and is the busiest and largest airport in Taiwan. It is located in Dayuan District, Taoyuan, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Taipei.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is accessible by bus, train, and car. There are several bus companies that operate routes into Taipei, taking about an hour and costing around NT$125 to reach city centre destinations. There is also a shuttle bus to the THSR Taoyuan Station, from which a single fare to Taipei costs NT$175 and takes 20 minutes. The airport also links to the Taoyuan MRT system, with a line that goes directly to Taipei Main Station. The airport is served by National Highway No. 2, and car rental services are available at both terminals.

Taipei Songshan Airport is the older of the two airports and is located within the city, just north of its centre. It remains an important domestic and regional travel hub, with flights to and from small, Taiwanese-owned islands, as well as mainland China, Japan, and South Korea. The airport is connected to the rest of the city by several bus routes and the Songshan Airport MRT Station on the Wenhu (Brown) Line.

Airport facilities

Taipei, Taiwan, has two airports: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (also referred to as Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport) and Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA). Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the main airport for tourists visiting Taipei and northern Taiwan. It is the busiest and largest airport in Taiwan, located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Taipei in the Dayuan District of Taoyuan City. The airport has two terminals that handle over 6 million passengers and 43,500 tonnes of cargo each year.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport has a wide range of facilities, including banking and currency exchange services, nursery rooms, and VIP lounges. The airport offers extensive duty-free shopping, with a range of boutique outlets and locally-based brands selling souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, books, liquor, and tobacco products. There are also plenty of dining options, including fast-food outlets, cafes, bars, and a mix of Taiwanese, Chinese, and Western restaurants. The airport provides free Wi-Fi and wireless charging services on trains.

Taipei Songshan Airport, officially named Taipei International Airport, is located just north of Taipei's city centre. It primarily serves domestic and regional travel within Taiwan and to nearby countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Songshan Airport has limited dining and shopping options, with mostly fast-food outlets, coffee shops, and a convenience store in the domestic terminal. However, there is a Taiwanese cuisine restaurant in the international terminal, and a modest selection of boutique shops and duty-free shopping is available.

Both airports have car rental services and are well-connected to the city by bus routes and the Taoyuan MRT system. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport also offers an express train service that takes 38 minutes to reach downtown Taipei, while the commuter train takes 45 minutes and stops at all stations.

Airlines and flights

Taipei, Taiwan, is served by two airports: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE, ICAO: RCTP) is the primary airport for international arrivals and departures, while Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) primarily serves domestic and regional travel within Taiwan and to nearby countries.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is located in Dayuan District, Taoyuan, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Taipei. It is the busiest and largest airport in Taiwan, handling over 6 million passengers and 43,500 tonnes of cargo annually through its two civilian terminals. The airport opened in 1979 as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and was renamed in 2006. It is a hub for China Airlines, which has its headquarters at the airport, and is also served by carriers including EVA Air, Mandarin Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and UNI Air.

Taipei Songshan Airport

Taipei Songshan Airport is located just north of Taipei's city centre. It is the older of Taipei's two airports and was previously the main airport for international flights until limited facilities led to most international traffic being shifted to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Songshan Airport remains an important hub for domestic and regional flights, serving small, Taiwanese-owned islands as well as mainland China, Japan, and South Korea. It is the home port for Mandarin Airlines and budget carriers TransAsia Airways and UNI Air.

Ground Transportation

Both airports offer convenient ground transportation options to and from Taipei. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is connected to Taipei via bus, high-speed rail, and the Taoyuan MRT system. The journey to Taipei typically takes around one hour by bus and 20 minutes by high-speed rail or MRT. Taipei Songshan Airport is accessible via the Songshan Airport MRT Station on the Wenhu (Brown) Line and various bus routes.

Frequently asked questions