TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Passengers planning to travel Thursday should arrive early at the airport because of the urban resilience exercises scheduled for 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Taoyuan International Airport Corporation said Wednesday.
For the first time, the annual drills will also feature a slowdown of mobile internet speeds simulating disruptions of communications. Thursday’s exercises take place in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City, and Yilan.
During the 30 minute drills, all traffic near the airport, including taxis, buses, and rental cars, will stop, per UDN. Only the Airport Mass Rapid Transit service will function as usual.
Travelers inside the terminals should follow the instructions of Aviation Police Bureau and private security agents showing the direction to the nearest shelter. Vehicles will have to clear the roads, parking by the side or entering parking lots at the airport., UDN reported.
Because of the internet slowdown, travelers should download or print digital documents before the start of the drill. During the 30 minutes, payments will have to be made by credit card or cash, airport officials said.
Travelers will still be able to use Airport Free Wi-Fi or iTaiwan Wi-Fi, though they are advised to give priority to registering and boarding formalities when going online. The slowdown will not affect emergency services, voice calls, SMS message, fixed-line internet, and indoor Wi-Fi networks, while the use of public phones inside the terminals at Taoyuan will be free during the drill.
The company said it had asked airlines to inform passengers arriving at Taoyuan between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. about the drills. If they needed to fill out entry documents, they should do so before landing in order to save time, the company said.
