TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taoyuan International Airport expects the number of passengers in 2024 to reach 45 million, or more than 90% of the pre-pandemic level, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said Friday (Sept. 6).

For the January-July period, 30.9 million travelers passed through Taiwan’s airports, a 45% increase from the same period in 2023, Radio Taiwan International reported. Taoyuan was likely to equal the pre-COVID 2019 total of 48.68 million passengers in 2025, according to officials.

The MOTC noted the success of its campaign to promote transits, with the number of passengers changing flights at Taoyuan increasing 15% in January-July to reach 4.03 million, or 30% more than in the same period in 2019.

The latest figures also showed a marked improvement for the cruise sector, with the ships expected to bring in 900,000 visitors for the year. The total amounted to 85% of the number of cruise passengers recorded in 2019.

By the end of July, 239 international cruise ships had docked in Taiwan, with the total for 2024 expected to reach 490, or 70% of the 2019 level.