A report of an unidentified flying object (UFO) at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport this morning has resulted in the disruption of seven scheduled flight services, according to the airport operator.
According to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co. (TIAC), the sighting of an unidentified object which was reported by a China Airlines flight crew resulted in an airport closure lasting approximately 40 minutes.
According to the local news source Focus Taiwan, the subsequent closure impacted seven flights, including the delayed arrival of two flights – Peach Aviation MM23 and AirAsia Z2124. Departures were also delayed for EVA Airways BR712, Starlux Airlines JX850 and AirAsia flight AK1511.
According to TIAC, two arriving flights were diverted to land at Kaosiung Airport – Cathay Pacific CX488 and Xiamen Airlines flight MF887.
Over one thousand passengers were affected by the disruptions.
TIAC went on to state that authorities were unable to formally identify the object which was only seen by one pilot, however they did not rule out the possibility of it being a drone (unmanned aircraft).
About Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is an international airport serving Taipei and northern Taiwan.
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It is located about 40 km (25 mi) west of Taipei in Dayuan District, Taoyuan. The airport is Taiwan’s largest and was also the busiest airport in Taiwan before the COVID-19 pandemic which began in 2020. It is operated by the Taoyuan International Airport Corporation.
The airport opened for commercial operations in 1979 as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and was renamed in 2006.
Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH), which accommodated 2 flight diversions, is a medium-sized civil airport in Siaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also known as Siaogang Airport.
With nearly seven million passengers in 2018, it is the second busiest airport in Taiwan, after Taoyuan.
The airport is served by a number of airlines, including China Airlines, Eva Air, Mandarin Airlines, Uni Air, and Tigerair Taiwan. The airport is also a hub for Mandarin Airlines.
The distance between Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and Kaohsiung Airport (KHH) is 293 kilometers (182 miles)
