Taipei Songshan Airport (IATA: TSA; ICAO: RCSS) is a joint civil–military airport in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It serves domestic flights and selected regional international and cross-strait routes. Located within the city’s built-up area, it complements the larger Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which handles Taipei’s principal international gateway traffic. Its civilian administration operates under the Civil Aeronautics Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. (en.wikipedia.org)
History
Establishment and early expansion
The airfield opened in 1936 during Japanese rule, when it was known as Taihoku Airfield or Matsuyama Aerodrome. After World War II, the air force took control of the site, which also accommodated civilian aviation. The civilian Taipei Airport administration was formally established on April 16, 1950; this administrative anniversary is distinct from the airfield’s original opening. (sups.tp.edu.tw)
During the 1950s, the airport developed into an important domestic and international gateway. Runway construction and extensions accompanied the growth of scheduled services: a new runway measuring 2,300 metres long and 60 metres wide was completed in January 1957. International airlines connected Taipei with destinations elsewhere in Asia and across the Pacific. (tsa.gov.tw)
Transition to domestic aviation
On February 26, 1979, international operations transferred to the newly opened airport at Taoyuan, then named Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. Songshan subsequently concentrated on domestic services. The expansion of domestic airline competition from the late 1980s brought renewed growth, and passenger traffic reached approximately 15.39 million in 2000. (tsa.gov.tw)
The introduction of high-speed rail along Taiwan’s western corridor substantially reduced demand for competing domestic flights. By 2008, Songshan’s annual passenger volume had fallen to approximately 2.95 million, helping prompt a reorientation toward regional and cross-strait aviation. (tsa.gov.tw)
Return of regional services
Cross-strait weekend charter services began on July 4, 2008, followed by daily charters that December. These services restored a role beyond domestic aviation after almost three decades. (tsa.gov.tw)
Connections with Shanghai Hongqiao Airport began on June 14, 2010, and services to Tokyo Haneda Airport followed on October 31. Flights to Gimpo Airport in Seoul began in April 2012. Together, these routes supported a policy of linking centrally located airports in major Northeast Asian cities, commonly described as the “Northeast Asia golden aviation circle.” (sups.tp.edu.tw)
Facilities and operations
Songshan has a single runway, designated 10/28, measuring 2,605 metres long and 60 metres wide. The airfield accommodates both civilian and military activity. Its relatively compact site distinguishes it from the much larger international airport at Taoyuan. (en.wikipedia.org)
Passenger facilities are divided between Terminal 1, designated for international services, and Terminal 2, designated for domestic services. The airport also developed dedicated business-aviation facilities, including a business aviation centre that opened on April 26, 2012. (tsa.gov.tw)
The airport’s regional role emphasizes convenient access to Taipei rather than the extensive long-haul network associated with Taoyuan. Its development strategy has consequently focused on a compact capital-city business airport, while retaining domestic air connections. (tsa.gov.tw)
Ground transport
Songshan Airport station, numbered BR13, connects the airport to the Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro. The station lies between Zhongshan Junior High School and Dazhi stations. Metro access, together with bus services, integrates the airport into the city’s public transport network. (web.metro.taipei)
Urban setting and planning debate
The airport’s central location provides convenient surface access but limits opportunities for expansion. Its continued operation has also generated recurring urban planning debate over aircraft noise, building-height restrictions, aviation requirements, and alternative uses of the land. Proposals to close or relocate the airport have resurfaced periodically; they are distinct from an adopted closure programme. In October 2026, a proposal to replace the airport with an artificial-intelligence industry park renewed this discussion. (en.wikipedia.org)
References
- Songshan Airporten.wikipedia.org
- 六十年的變革與建設 / 60 Years of Construction and Transformationtsa.gov.tw
- Ups and Downs - The Story of Taipei Songshan Airportsups.tp.edu.tw
- 臺北國際航空站97年年報tsa.gov.tw
- Ups and Downs - The Story of Taipei Songshan Airportsups.tp.edu.tw
- CAA will not request more Songshan-Gimpo flightstaipeitimes.com
- Taipei Airport annual report: Basic Facts of Songshan Airporttsa.gov.tw
- Prefacetsa.gov.tw
- Shopping/Experience Servicetsa.gov.tw
- 2012 Annual Reporttsa.gov.tw
- Songshan Airport station informationweb.metro.taipei
- Taoyuan International Airporten.wikipedia.org