By KHT Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場) has opened bidding for work to add a fourth security line in its international terminal, as the airport continues to face crowding during early-morning departure peaks.
The project, listed as work to add a fourth security line to the third-floor departure hall of the international terminal, has a budget of just under NT$1.5 million. Bidding is scheduled to close June 8, with the tender to be opened June 9. The current tender covers interior construction work, but does not include X-ray machines or other inspection equipment.
The move follows repeated complaints about congestion at the airport during what officials have described as “extreme peak” hours. Passenger flow is especially heavy between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., when more than 2,000 travelers can enter the departure area within a two-hour window.
Officials have said that even when all three existing security lines are operating, the terminal can struggle to absorb the morning rush. Lines for security checks and airline check-in counters can overlap in the limited departure hall space, adding to the sense of crowding.
Airport officials have said longer-term capacity problems are expected to ease after the first phase of Kaohsiung Airport’s new terminal is completed in 2032. The expanded terminal is expected to increase space for security screening and immigration processing.
The additional security line comes as Kaohsiung seeks to expand its role as southern Taiwan’s main international gateway, with growing demand for flights and renewed public debate over whether the city’s airport infrastructure can keep pace with travel growth.
