Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an proposes relocating Songshan Airport to create AI park
The city government hopes to use the airport’s roughly 300 hectares to drive technology development and urban renewal, but the relocation site, flight transfers and public safety implications remain under assessment.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has proposed relocating Taipei Songshan Airport and developing its current site into an artificial intelligence (AI) park, in the hope that land development can create a technology industry cluster and drive industrial growth and urban renewal in the capital. However, relocating the airport would affect aviation services, offshore island transport, defense and emergency rescue operations, prompting attention from political parties and central government agencies.
According to an Oct. 8 report by Central News Agency, Chiang has proposed transforming about 300 hectares of Songshan Airport land into an AI industry park, housing and other urban facilities. He said the park could attract financial technology companies, international venture capital firms, exhibitions and hotels, and presented estimates of the potential economic output and employment opportunities.
However, those figures are planning estimates put forward by the city government. The actual scale of development will depend on subsequent planning, transport arrangements, land use and review by the central government.
Airport relocation plan still lacks concrete details
Chiang said that once facilities including Terminal 3 and a runway at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are completed, Taoyuan may be able to handle some of Songshan Airport’s traffic. He cited 2033 as an important reference point for the relevant construction.
When the city government presented the proposal, however, it had not specified where Songshan Airport would be relocated or explained how existing routes, passenger demand and related facilities would be transferred.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Yen-po said Songshan Airport is an important aviation hub for Taipei. In addition to connecting the capital with regional cities including Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai, it also serves routes to eastern Taiwan and the offshore islands. The airport’s future arrangements must be assessed carefully and cannot be considered solely from the perspective of land development.
Defense and emergency rescue are also key considerations
Beyond its civil aviation role, Songshan Airport is also involved in missions carried out by the National Airborne Service Corps, including search and rescue operations. An Interior Ministry official said the airport plays an important role in emergency rescue efforts in northern Taiwan, adding that any plan must assess public safety and defense needs.
The comments show that Songshan Airport’s future is not merely an urban renewal issue. It also involves the division of responsibilities between the central and local governments, aviation policy and the allocation of public services.
Policy debate intensifies as Taipei mayoral race takes shape
After Chiang put forward the proposal, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang questioned the city government’s preparations, saying the plan had been discussed in the past and that the city government should explain what work it had undertaken over the years. Shen also said he was willing to discuss the policy.
According to Central News Agency, the proposal has also drawn opposition or concerns from some political figures in Taiwan’s offshore islands. They cited the transport needs of offshore island residents traveling to and from Taiwan proper, and argued that AI industry development should not come at the expense of existing public transportation services.
Attention will now focus on whether the city government can present more concrete details on the relocation site, timetable, financing arrangements and alternative transport plans, as well as whether the central government will take part in a formal assessment.
How Songshan Airport is positioned in the future will involve multiple policy objectives, including urban development, technology industries, aviation and public safety. The proposal remains at the discussion stage and should not be viewed as confirmation that the airport will be relocated or that construction of an AI park has been approved.