Premier Lin Chuan (center) and other officials launch a special exhibition celebrating TTIA’s record passenger traffic Dec. 24 in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City. (Courtesy of Executive Yuan)

Annual passenger traffic at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport topped 40 million Dec. 13 for the first time in the facility’s 37-year history, with the figure expected to rise 9.09 percent year on year to 42 million by the end of 2016, according to airport officials.

In a special exhibition held Dec. 24 at the northern Taiwan gateway celebrating the milestone, Premier Lin Chuan noted the achievement moved TTIA into the top of five categories in the benchmarking system utilized by the Montreal-based Airport Council International to assess facilities around the world.

“When the airport metro system commences operations early next year, TTIA will gain even more international exposure,” Lin said. “The government will continue enhancing public transportation and implement other infrastructure projects so that TTIA becomes the pride of Taiwan and Asia.”

The premier also highlighted areas where TTIA needs to improve, including addressing problems in the design and operations of Terminal 2. He also said airport authorities must ensure that the expansion of Terminal 2 and construction of Terminal 3 remain on schedule, urging enhanced exchanges with global counterparts so as to improve management practices.

According to government-owned Taoyuan International Airport Corp., which manages the facility, annual passenger traffic has been growing steadily for the past five years. With six budget carriers based in Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam having begun services to the airport earlier this year, the company expects TTIA will become an even busier transport hub in the future.

Efforts to improve the services offered at the airport have paid dividends in recent years. In February, the ACI named TTIA the second best facility of its kind in the 25 million to 40 million passenger service global category for the second consecutive year. In a survey released March 11, 2015, by U.K.-based air travel and review agency Skytrax, the TTIA topped 549 other airports to claim the inaugural World’s Best Airport Staff Service award. (SFC-E)

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