Airport Service Fee to be Adjusted in 2 Stages, DPP Demands Service Upgrades

The airport service fee, which has not been adjusted for 10 years, will be increased, attracting attention from all sectors. The DPP legislative caucus stated today that compared to major cities in Asia, Taiwan's airport service fee is relatively low; however, after the fee increase, airport services should be upgraded so that the public can feel the difference. When traveling abroad, each person is charged an airport service fee of NT$500, which has not been adjusted for 10 years. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced that it will adjust the airport service fee in two progressive stages: from the current NT$500 to NT$750 starting September 1 this year, and to NT$1,000 starting September 1, 2028. DPP legislative caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung, secretary-general Fan Yun, and deputy secretary-general Wu Pei-yi held a press conference today to respond to public opinion. Chuang explained issues such as the airport service fee hike, high-speed rail, and energy. Chuang said that while the public may feel the hike is significant, compared to airports in Asia, Taiwan's fees are still the lowest, with the exception of Malaysia's fee of NT$786, while Japan's Narita and Kansai airports, Hong Kong, and Singapore are all higher. Regarding the signal failure on the Taiwan High Speed Rail yesterday, Chuang said that the high-speed rail is a vital transportation artery, and the DPP caucus demands a comprehensive review and a reasonable explanation from the company. Furthermore, regarding the energy issue mentioned by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Chuang stated that the government is responding, and regarding nuclear energy, the DPP maintains an open attitude based on safety and public consensus.