Taipei mayor pushes to close Songshan Airport for AI park, officials urge caution

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an called for the cessation of operations at Songshan Airport, proposing that the vacated land become a hub for artificial-intelligence companies, and said he is ready to negotiate with the central government. In a Transportation Committee hearing, Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-ching explained that while an AI park could host software, hardware and IC design firms, major manufacturers like TSMC, Hon Hai, Quanta and Wistron are unlikely to build factories in the capital, preferring headquarters locations similar to Nvidia’s new Taipei base.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo and Deputy Transport Minister Lin Kuo-hsien warned that Songshan is vital for peacetime and wartime defense, emergency medical flights for outlying islands, and serves as a rescue hub, handling about 50 % of domestic traffic, especially to Kinmen, Lienchiang and Penghu. They urged a thorough evaluation of whether another facility could replace these functions. Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-hsien opposed the closure, suggesting expansion of the airport and locating an AI park in Danhai New Town, citing nearby infrastructure and potential nuclear power support. The discussion reflects tension between Taiwan’s ambition to grow its AI sector and the strategic role of Songshan Airport.