Taiwan's interior minister warned on October 20, 2026, that relocating Taipei Songshan Airport would hit emergency rescue operations across northern Taiwan, saying the government has no alternative base for the rescue fleet stationed there.
Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang spoke to reporters at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's legislature, before taking questions from lawmakers. Responding to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's proposal to move the downtown airport, she said relocation would certainly affect the National Airborne Service Corps (NASC), the Interior Ministry's air rescue unit, and must be assessed with great care.
Rescue Corps Serves Northern Taiwan and Matsu
Liu said the NASC unit based at Songshan mainly supports emergency rescue for cities and counties in northern Taiwan and for outlying islands such as Matsu, which lies off the coast of China. So far, she said, northern local governments have no second option for the corps' rescue aircraft and equipment.
The Executive Yuan, Taiwan's Cabinet, has already set aside NT$3.5 billion (about US$109 million) to upgrade the corps' facilities and equipment. Liu said moving the airport would undeniably disrupt those rescue capabilities, and urged the public to understand the real needs of rescue work on the outlying islands before anyone acts without a replacement in place.
Chiang's AI Park Plan Puts Songshan on the Campaign Trail
Chiang, of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), unveiled the idea on October 8 as part of his reelection campaign, proposing to turn the roughly 300 hectare airport site into an artificial intelligence park, according to Focus Taiwan. He has pointed to the third terminal and new runway under construction at Taoyuan International Airport as eventual replacements for Songshan's capacity.
Central government agencies have pushed back. Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan earlier called Songshan indispensable for search and rescue in northern Taiwan, while the Executive Yuan has listed the airport's other roles, including flights to the outlying islands, medical air transport, international routes, backup for Taoyuan, and a military airbase defending the capital, the Taipei Times reported. Chiang's main challenger in the Taipei race, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Puma Shen, has also questioned whether the plan comes with workable alternatives.
Transport Minister Questions Chiang's Green Corridor Idea
Chiang has argued that patients who need medical evacuation to Taipei could be flown into Taoyuan and then moved by a dedicated highway "green corridor" or by high speed rail. Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai said on October 20 that he was not quite sure what Chiang meant by a green corridor.
Chen said relocating an airport and designing patient transfer systems are highly technical matters, and suggested Chiang hold in-depth talks with the relevant ministries so he can speak on the subject with more confidence. He added that since he called on the Taipei City Government to engage with his ministry the previous week, the city has not been in touch at all.
