Songshan Airport relocation returns to focus of Taipei mayoral race as Chiang and Shen differ

Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) proposal to relocate Songshan Airport and develop the site into a Taipei AI Park has sparked debate. Relevant government agencies have responded cautiously, while Shen Pao-yang (沈伯洋), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate for Taipei mayor, said the proposal was somewhat rushed given its timing before the election.

Chiang’s proposal

Chiang announced on Oct. 8 that, following Taipei’s successful bid to attract Nvidia, he proposes to relocate Songshan Airport and develop its 300-hectare site into a Taipei AI Park, with residential areas and a large green space.

Chiang projected the proposed hub would generate NT$12 trillion (approximately US$375 billion) in output, 65,000 jobs, and housing for 35,000 residents by convening 200 domestic tech firms to anchor an eight-city innovation corridor stretching across New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu.

Airport height limits have long stifled development around Songshan, Chiang said, arguing that relocating the facility would unlock extensive high-rise construction and urban renewal across 570 hectares of aging districts. He estimated the move could unleash up to NT$18 trillion in broader economic output.

Shen’s response

Challenging Chiang in the Taipei mayoral race, Shen dismissed the pre-election airport relocation plan on Oct. 9 as "somewhat rushed," saying that moving Songshan threatens crucial defense operations, outlying-island transit, and emergency medical airlift capacity.

Outlining key criteria in an Oct. 14 interview, Shen asserted that relocating Songshan hinges on addressing defense, island transit, disaster response, and medical evacuation capabilities—identifying emergency medical transport and disaster relief as the most difficult obstacles to resolve.

When asked if he backed moving Songshan Airport, Shen said his support hinges on whether a viable alternative exists. While acknowledging the issue warrants discussion, he stated that proponents must first present concrete transition plans to address the operational fallout.

Responses from central government agencies

Operating as a dual-use facility, Songshan Airport divides jurisdiction between the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) for commercial flights and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) for military operations.

Reporting to lawmakers on Oct. 14, the MOTC noted that under the Executive Yuan’s November 2023 "Songshan International Airport 2040 Master Plan," the facility remains formally designated as Taiwan's primary domestic aviation hub and capital international business airport. 

The MOTC underscored Songshan Airport's critical public functions, pointing to its dual role in defense readiness, disaster response, and lifelines to outlying islands, notably emergency aeromedical evacuation. Given these essential operations, the ministry said any decision to alter or relocate the facility must be approached with caution until comprehensive replacement mechanisms are secured.

At the same Legislative Yuan hearing, Defense Minister Koo Li-hsiung (顧立雄) said that Songshan Airport plays a vital dual role, serving as a primary corridor for outlying-island medical airlifts and an operational hub for the National Airborne Service Corps. 

Koo stated that the installation executes indispensable military operations during both peace and wartime, anchoring a critical pillar of Taiwan’s defense resilience.

Koo noted that relocating Songshan Airport requires clear proof that its current functions can be replaced, adding that the defense ministry will provide expert input during any cabinet-level review to safeguard national defense capabilities.

Emphasizing that Songshan serves as the primary gateway for emergency flights from outlying islands, Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on Oct. 10 that any relocation plan must involve comprehensive planning to safeguard critical medical evacuation routes.

Songshan Airport’s role

According to MOTC’s statistics, Songshan Airport’s international terminal has an annual passenger capacity of 3.8 million, while its domestic terminal can serve 2.8 million passengers a year.

The airport is also an important base for business aviation in Taiwan. Citing 1,322 corporate flights in 2025 and nearly 1,200 through September 2026, the ministry stressed that Songshan Airport remains an irreplaceable gateway for multinational executives doing business in Taiwan.

An issue in past elections

Chiang is not the first politician to propose relocating Songshan Airport. The idea can be traced back to 2002, when Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) raised it during his Taipei mayoral campaign.

In later Taipei elections, DPP mayoral candidates Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷) and Yao Wen-chih (姚文智), as well as Taiwan People’s Party mayoral candidate Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊), proposed relocating the airport.

Former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) initially backed relocating Songshan Airport during his 2014 campaign, but later tempered that position once in office. He conceded that the decision falls under the jurisdiction of the central government and cannot be settled by municipal authorities alone.

History of Songshan Airport

Founded in 1936 under Japanese rule as Taipei Airfield, Songshan was initially conceived for civilian aviation before transitioning into a dual-use civil-military installation following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

Following World War II, when Taiwan came under the control of the Republic of China (ROC) government, the airfield retained its dual civil-military status. After the central government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, Songshan was formally re-established as Taipei International Airport in 1950, serving for decades as the island’s primary global gateway and commercial aviation hub.

With the opening of Chiang Kai-shek International Airport—now Taoyuan International Airport—in 1979, Songshan ceded regular international routes to focus on domestic air travel, maintaining only specialized overseas charter and government flights.

After the 2007 debut of Taiwan's High Speed Rail reduced domestic air travel demand along the western corridor, the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) moved in 2008 to repurpose Songshan Airport by reopening it to international flights.