Taiwan’s main international airport in Taoyuan has typically been highly ranked in a prominent international airport survey. However, in recent years its ranking has seen a considerable drop.
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Passengers coming through Taiwan’s Taoyuan Airport may be surprised that they must undergo special inspections poking for pork products. It’s part of the government’s attempts to keep H1N1 swine flu from infecting Taiwan’s pigs.
These Taiwanese passengers say they don’t mind, as it protects the local animals and farmers. But not everyone is as forgiving as they are. In fact, in the most recent annual Skytrax World Airport Survey, Taoyuan ranked 82nd in the list of the top 100 airports. That’s down from 67th place in 2022, and 13th place in 2019.
All of the top three airports in the poll were in Asia, with Singapore’s Changi, Doha’s Hamad, and Tokyo’s Haneda taking the top three spots.
Some think the extra inspections may be one reason Taoyuan has lost so much favor among travelers. Taoyuan Airport Airlines Operating Committee Chairman Wang Kuo-an (王國安) says that while other countries may restrict the import of plant and animal products, many international travelers cannot understand why there would be extra inspections.
As post-pandemic tourism recovers, Taoyuan Airport may need to consider how to improve its first impression on international travelers.