TAIPEI: Taiwan airport has finally decided to increase the airport tax that has to be impose on the passengers after Changi Airport in Singapore and Beijing Capital International Airport in China charge over NT$800 (US$25.37) per passenger, while Narita Airport in Japan and Incheon International Airport in South Korea charge around NT$700 (US$22.20).
The airport tax departing passengers must pay at Taiwan’s airports will rise to NT$500 (US$15.86) from the current NT$300 (US$9.52) starting next April, the country’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said Saturday.
The NT$300 airport tax has remained the same for the past 27 years, and raising the fee will bring Taiwan more in line with international standards, the CAA said.
According to the CAA, Taiwan collected about NT$5.3 billion (US$168.1 million) in airport tax revenues last year.
Sixty percent of that has been allocated to the country’s tourism development fund and the rest has gone to Taiwan’s four international airports — Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Songshan Airport, Kaohsiung International Airport and Taichung Airport.
After the new policy kicks off, Taiwan is expected to collect nearly NT$9 billion (US$285.5 million) in airport tax a year, and the previous 60-40 distribution ratio will become 50-50, the CAA said.
