HENGCHUN AIRPORT TO REOPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL CHARTERS ON TRIAL BASIS|救觀光 交部同意恆春機場試辦包機2年

The Number of tourists visiting Kenting has decreased by roughly 2 million people last year. With the aim of boosting tourism to Kenting, the MOTC has finally agreed to reopen the Hengchun Airport for international charter flights for two years on a trial basis. After the Labor Day long weekend, Kenting Main Street has only a few tourists. Last year Kenting has less two million tourists. This year, up to this month, still not enough tourists showed up in several long holiday weekends. ==BED N BREAKFAST OWNER== All BnB owners in Hengchun are screaming for low occupancy rate. Sometimes no customers at all in big holidays. Last year, the number of tourists to Kenting was down to less than six million, same as the number seven years ago. Many local business owners believe the reason may due to the decreasing mainland Chinese tourists and insufficient domestic demands. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has already approved the unused Hengchun Airport to be used for international chartered flights for two years. ==CHU KUAN-WEN Section Chief, Civil Aeronautics Administration== The Executive Yuan on March 28 this year, basically agree with the proposal. And we did call upon staff from Kaohsiung International Airport, Pingtung Airport, customs, National Immigration Agency and quarantine units together to discuss the preparation works. For our part at the Civil Aeronautics Administration, we are almost ready. However, Hengchun Airport has not been upgrading, its runway is 1,700 meters, it can only land aircrafts with 70 to 80 passengers. That means, the farthest destination of origin is Ishigaki of Japan and northern region of the Philippines. Also Hengchun Airport could not handle with take offs and landings during evening and downwind. ==LIN JUNG-CHIN Chairman, Pingtung HomeStay Association== In the near future, maybe flights from and to Taoyuan or Songshan, we start with domestic (international transfer line) chartered flights. ==HUANG CHIEN-CHIA Director-general, Pingtung Info. and Tourism Dept.== Tourists can fly directly from Taoyuan or Songshan to Kenting for pleasure. By calculating travel time and costs, passengers can save two and half hours to three hours. Some business owners said, chartered flights from Hong Kong and Macau are feasible, but may not be able to cover an annual loss of NT$60 million. Pingtung County Government hopes to obtain subsidies to extend the runway to 2,500 meters, and enable the airport to land chartered flights from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 屏東墾丁遊客，去年大減200萬人次，今年沒有明顯起色，而從2014年9月就停飛的屏東恆春機場，交通部今年3月終於同意，試辦國際包機2年，民航局表示，屏東縣政府或業者，只要找到客源和航空公司，就可以申請包機。不過恆春機場，適合的起降飛機，最遠只能到日本石垣島和菲律賓北部，夜間也無法起降，限制不少。 五一連假剛過，墾丁大街附近民宿恢復平日冷清，去年減少200萬遊客，今年已經過了四個月，幾個連續假期下來，墾丁還不見明顯起色。 ==民宿業者== 恆春的都唉唉叫 恆春(住房)少很多 有時候大假日都沒人住 墾丁去年遊客跌破600萬人，回到七年前的水準，地方上認為是陸客大減，國內市場也不足。交通部已經同意，讓停飛的恆春機場試辦國際包機2年。 ==民航局組長 朱冠文== 行政院已經在今年的3月28日 原則同意辦理 那我們也已經請了 我們高雄航空站 屏東航空站 海關 移民署 還有檢疫單位一起來做 有關民航局的作業部分 大概都準備好了 不過，機場硬體沒有升級，目前跑道1700公尺，最大只適合載送7、80人的飛機起降，最遠只能到日本石垣島，和菲律賓北部，夜間和刮落山風時，也依舊無法起降。 ==屏東民宿協會理事長 林榮欽== 短期可能飛桃園或是松山 國內的(國際線接駁) 包機先開始來運作 == 屏東縣政府新聞處長 黃建嘉== 直接可以從桃園或松山 來(飛)到墾丁等等來旅遊 這樣的時程算起來 對遊客而言在交通成本上 幾乎可以省下2個半小時 到3個小時之間 墾丁部分業者認為初步還是有港澳的包機市場，不過恐怕不夠平衡機場一年6千萬元虧損，縣府希望能再爭取機場跑道加長到2500公尺，拓展東北亞和東南亞包機。 記者 王介村 孟昭權 綜合報導