Hengchun Airport, located near Kenting National Park, has confirmed it will lose its only scheduled passenger traffic at the end of this month.
Uni Air (B7, Taipei Sung Shan) said in a statement it had been granted official permission to terminate flights from Taipei Sung Shan to Taiwan's southernmost airport effective May 28. The route is Hengchun's only remaining scheduled commercial service.
Opened in January 2004 at a total cost of TWD600 million Taiwanese dollars (USD19.1 million), the aerodrome has suffered from a lack of demand owing to a combination of factors. In addition to strong seasonal katabatic winds that resulted in frequent flight cancellations, the opening of a high-speed rail track in 2007 further curtailed demand for travel from the airport.
Despite a lack of commercial activity, the airport has remained somewhat popular with the general aviation community and training schools.
