Hualien Airport
Hualien Airport 花蓮航空站 Huālián Hángkōngzhàn Pahikukiyan nu Kalinku Rduwan Msangay Asu Skiya Skangki | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMSL 16 m / 52 ft | | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 24°01′23″N 121°37′04″E / 24.02306°N 121.61778°E | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
|
Hualien Airport (Chinese: 花蓮機場; pinyin: Huālián Jīchǎng; Amis: Pahikukiyan nu Kalinku; Seediq: Rduwan Msangay Asu Skiya Skangki) (IATA: HUN, ICAO: RCYU) is a commercial airport located in an 11.5-hectare (28-acre) civilian area of Chiashan Air Force Base in Xincheng, Hualien County, Taiwan. With flights to Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, it served 235,386 passengers in 2017, making it the tenth-busiest airport in Taiwan.
History
The airport was opened on 16 May 1962, for military and domestic civilian use. Before this, Hualien was a military gravel airfield.
On 27 April 2001, Hualien Airport became certified to serve international flights, specifically charter flights to and from Japan (to nearby Yonaguni in particular). The first Japanese charter arrived at Hualien on 1 October 2001. Charter flights to South Korea and Macau began in August and October 2004 respectively. However, these routes have since ended. There was also discussion of using Hualien for charter flights to mainland China under the Three Links scheme.
The proximity of Hualien Airport to a military base has caused some tension between travellers, airline officials, and the Republic of China Air Force, especially when civilian flights are cancelled due to war games exercises.
Expansion
Because Hualien City is a popular gateway into Taroko National Park, the airport became too small and outdated for the growing number of tourists. As a result, it underwent a significant expansion between 2002 and 2005 in anticipation of increased traffic from international charters and in an effort to spur local economic development. Plans called for new passenger and cargo terminals, new air bridges, and a new apron.
The new passenger terminal was opened on 19 March 2004, at a cost of NT$2.3 billion (US$69 million). It incorporates design cues from both classical
Airlines and destinations
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Mandarin Airlines | Kaohsiung, Taichung |
Thai Lion Air | Charter: Bangkok–Don Mueang |
Taipei–Songshan
|
Accidents and incidents
- On 26 October 1989, China Airlines Flight 204 crashed into a mountain shortly after takeoff from Hualien Airport. All 54 passengers and crew on board died.[citation needed]
- On 24 August 1999, motorcycle battery in the same overhead bin as the gasoline sparked after being jostled during the landing. Ku was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, but a later trial upon his appeal found him not guilty on 27 December 2004.[1]
Transportation
The airport is accessible within walking distance south-east of Beipu railway station. Local bus 1123 operates a loop between the airport, Hualien station and Hualien City.
See also
References
- ^ "立榮爆炸案更一審 古金水無罪." Liberty Times. December 28, 2004.
External links
Media related to Hualien Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Hualien Airport official website
- Hualien Air Base, Federation of American Scientists