Travelling to Taiwan

Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan is the gateway through which foreign nationals enter the country. It is followed by Kaohsiung and Taichung, which serves flights from Hong Kong and South-east Asia.

One of the busiest airports in Taiwan is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, located 50 km away from Taipei. It is also known as Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport (CKS). This airport is the major hub for China Airlines and EVA Air. It is the fifteenth-busiest air freight hub in the world and the thirteenth-busiest airport by international passenger traffic.

The Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) in Kaohsiung is the second busiest and the second largest airport in Taiwan. This airport is a hub of Uni Air. It handles international flights only to and from Asian cities, along with the chartered flights from mainland China. Along with the international traffic, it also serves several domestic flights.

The next major airport is Taichung Airport, which is also the third largest international airport in Taiwan. It serves scheduled flights to Hong Kong and Vietnam, along with chartered flights to Japan, South Korea, Phuket and Palau.

After Taoyuan, Kaohsiung and Taichung, Taipei Songshan Airport is the next major airport in Taiwan. It only serves domestic flights within Taiwan and is a hub of TransAsia Airways and Mandarin Airlines. Apart from domestic flights, it also operates flights to and from mainland China and Japan.

Hualien Airport is another airport in Taiwan that serves domestic flights. Apart from this, it also handles some international chartered flights to Japan, South Korea and Macau. Mandarin Airlines and TranAsia Airways are the only flights that serve this airport.

Main Airports in Taiwan
Airports in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung are among the major airports that serve both international and domestic flights. The Taipei Songshan Airport and Hualien Airport are other airports, serving only domestic flights.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the largest airport in Taiwan that serves Taipei along with the rest of northern Taiwan. This airport is the major hub of China Airlines, which is the official carrier of the country.

Along with this, it is also a hub for EVA Air. Two terminals serve the airport and a third one is under construction. Terminal 1 and 2 collectively host the international flights.  

For free transportation between the terminals there is a sky-train. Business centres and premium lounge is also available at the fourth floor of both the terminals. Both the terminals have several hotel reservation counters and ATMs.

Bureaux de change and post offices are also available throughout the terminals. Other facilities that are available at the airport include museum, a medical centre, children's playroom and beauty salons. Shower facilities and a transit hotel can also be found on the airport terminals.

The second-largest airport in Taiwan, Kaohsiung International Airport handles 15% of the international passengers coming to the country. This airport has two terminals, out of which one is dedicated to international flights and other for domestic flights.

Both the terminals are connected by a corridor. The airport serves both connecting as well as international flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. This airport is a hub for Uni Air domestic as well as international flights.    

Taichung Airport, the third international airport of Taiwan, is used for both commercial and military purposes. Although it is called as an international airport, only domestic flights to some outlying islands operate from here. Some of the facilities that are available on the terminal are nursery, ATMs, duty free shops and rest rooms.

Another major airport is Taipei Songshan Airport. Apart from being a domestic airport, it is also a base for the Chinese Air Force unit. This airport has eight air bridges along with banks, ATMs and post office.
           
Airlines in Taiwan                          
Several international as well as domestic carriers operate to and from Taiwan’s major cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung to different parts of world. China Airlines and EVA Air are the two major international carriers of Taiwan.

The headquarters of China Airlines is based in Dayuan Township (Taoyuan County). A competitor of China Airlines, EVA Air is the second largest airline of Taiwan. The airline has it’s headquarter in Lujhu (Taoyuan County).

One of the major domestic carriers of Taiwan is Mandarin Airlines (Songshan District, Taipei). It is a subsidiary of China Airlines and operates to destinations like mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and various cities of Taiwan.

Another major domestic carrier is UNI Air (Zhongshan, Taipei) that is managed by EVA Air. It operates international flights to China, Japan, Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnam, Hanoi and Seoul. It also operates domestic flights within Taiwan and chartered flights to Bali and Jeju.

TransAsia Airways is also a major domestic carrier, which operates international and chartered flights to China, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Apart from international destinations, it also operates domestic flights to Hualien, Makung, Kaohsiung, Kinmen, Taichung and Taipei.

Various international carriers also operate flights to and from Taiwan like Air Macau, Air Nippon, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Continental Airlines. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, American Airlines, Delta and Korean Air are some of the other international carriers that offer flights to and from Taiwan.