TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan collected a record NT$2.8 billion (US$88.15 million) in transit airspace service fees and NT$2 billion in air navigation service charges in 2025, reports said Tuesday.

The overflight charges apply to foreign aircraft crossing the Taipei Flight Information Region but not landing in Taiwan. The air navigation charges pay for air traffic management, terminal, and approach services.

The Civil Aviation Administration said the 2025 figure for income from transit airspace fees amounted to an increase of 30% over the previous year, per CNA. The revenue from air navigation service charges rose 6.72% during the same period.

The increases followed passenger growth after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of passengers rose 9% from 53.56 million in 2024 to 58.33 million last year.

In March 2025, the Civil Aviation Administration hiked the transit airspace service fee 35% to NT$13,500 per flight. The first increase in more than a decade resulted in better service and higher efficiency, officials said.

The three airlines paying the most in overflight charges were Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Korean Air. Taiwan’s own carriers EVA Air, China Airlines, and Starlux were the top three for paying air navigation service charges, with FedEx ranking seventh, indicating the importance of freight transportation and the Taiwan economy, officials said.