Taoyuan Airport Terminal 3 to boost automation, 2027 completion on track

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport's Terminal 3 is on track to be completed by the end of 2027 and will feature expanded self-service check-in and automated baggage-handling systems aimed at improving efficiency and passenger convenience, Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said Tuesday.

Speaking during an inspection of the project at Taiwan's main gateway airport, Chen said the new terminal will significantly transform passenger check-in and baggage drop processes through automation.

Terminal 3 will be equipped with 92 self-service check-in kiosks, accounting for nearly half of all check-in facilities, as part of efforts to increase automation and streamline passenger flow.

The new terminal will expand the use of self-service check-in facilities, with passengers able to check in baggage through automated systems that store and route luggage to the appropriate flight, he said.

"Travelers will be able to arrive at the airport three or four hours before departure and complete the check-in process at their convenience, rather than waiting for airline counters to open," Chen said.

The NT$128.4 billion (US$4.3 billion) project will add capacity for 45 million passengers a year, lifting total airport capacity to around 90 million when combined with Terminals 1 and 2.

The expansion comes as passenger traffic continues to grow. Taoyuan Airport handled nearly 50 million passengers in 2025. In the first five months of 2026, it processed 21.64 million passengers, up 11 percent year-on-year, with transfer traffic and cargo volumes also posting double-digit growth, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

Chen said the expansion is key to strengthening Taiwan's role as a regional aviation hub linking North America and Southeast Asia.

The terminal will include 21 contact gates, five gates for smaller aircraft, 24 baggage claim carousels and 18 elevators, and will be directly connected to the Taoyuan Airport MRT system.

Airport officials said the terminal will mainly serve Taiwan's three major carriers -- China Airlines, EVA Air and Starlux Airlines -- operating North American, Southeast Asian and other international routes.

Designed by a team led by the late British architect Richard Rogers, a Pritzker Prize laureate, the terminal features a wave-inspired roof supported by 16 giant steel columns and is expected to become Taiwan's largest indoor public space, said Taoyuan International Airport Corp.

The company said the main terminal structure reached a major milestone on April 26, when topping-out work and installation of the glass curtain wall were completed, with interior construction now underway ahead of the 2027 completion target.

The northern boarding concourse of Terminal 3 opened late last year.