Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) The construction of a third terminal at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport may be delayed for another year, as the transportation ministry is reevaluating the design of the building, the airport management company said Monday.
The start of the project may have to be postponed until the design review is completed next February, said Wang Ming-teh, chairman of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co. (TIAC).
Wang made the remarks during a legislative session, during which the company and the Ministry of Transportation and Communication were heavily criticized over the numerous delays of project.
According to lawmakers, the delays were due to the complicated design and poor budget management on the project.
In response, Wang said the TIAC wanted to simplify the design of the terminal and begin peripheral work such as the connecting taxiways, but those plans had to be shelved because the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) preferred to stick to the original design.
As a result, construction of the terminal building has not yet started, he said.
Deputy Transport Minister Wang Kwo-tsai, who was also at the legislative session, said any simplification of the design must be faithful to the original concept and that the reevaluation will be completed by next February.
The design by the British architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour+ Partners features wavy ceilings, thousands of petal-shaped aluminum installations and skylights.
It is hoped that the third terminal will become a new landmark in Taiwan and help ease the growing traffic at the country's main gateway.
Last year, passenger volume at the airport reached 46.5 million, far exceeding the 35 million passengers the two existing terminals were designed to handle.
