Those interested in watching aircraft take off can now do so free of charge from the observation deck at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), which will be opened to the public today.

The observation deck was part of the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s plan to renovate the airport after international flights resumed at the facility three years ago.

According to the administration, the observation deck has an area of about 1,801m2. It is about 100m away from the runway and can accommodate 500 to 600 people at a time.

The administration said visitors could sit on chairs designed by -Brisbane-based Alexander Lotersztain and drink coffee while watching the aircraft arrive and depart, adding that they could see the Grand Hotel, Miramar Entertainment Park and Taipei 101 from the observation deck as well.

Previously, aviation enthusiasts would view aircraft from Alley 180 on Binjiang Street in Taipei, which is near the end of the airport’s runway.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said at the inauguration ceremony yesterday that he hoped the observation deck would become a new meeting place in Taipei.

Mao said the deck was a perfect place for couples to spend a romantic evening together and the Taipei Aviation Office might open a forum on its Web site allowing couples to post their love stories.

Mao said the completion of the observation only put a “comma” on the airport’s renovation, which is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

“[Former Taipei EasyCard Corp chairman] Sean Lin (連勝文) said Songshan airport was inferior to Pyongyang airport,” he said. “I’ve never been to North Korea, but I knew it was not a nice comment. I could only accept it at that time and tried to address it quickly.”

That said, Mao added that Taipei airport now has the potential to be one of the world’s best airports.

The observation deck was scheduled to open in July, but the administration postponed the opening until this month because it was waiting for specially designed chairs to arrive from Spain.

Starting today, the deck will be open to the public daily from 9am to 9pm.

Visitors can enter the observation deck through Terminal 2.

Visitors may not fly kites, operate remote-controlled planes or engage in any activity that might compromise aviation safety. Violators could be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$997 and US$49,841), the administration said.