Songshan Air Base (Taihoku Airfield)

Songshan Air Base is located in the Songshan District of Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 28, 1936, during Japanese rule, the facility originally functioned as a Japanese military airbase known as Taihoku Airfield or Matsuyama Airfield. In 1937, the Japanese Navy’s Kanoya Air Group used the site to operate Type 96 G3M bombers. The Japanese Army established the 37th Kyoiku Hikotai at the airfield in 1944, a training unit equipped with Ki-61 fighters. US Army Far East Air Forces bombed the installation between March and August 1945, with the final mission utilizing B-24 heavy bombers. The Republic of China Air Force assumed control of the base in 1946, and shared military and civilian use began on April 16, 1950.

The Republic of China Air Force currently operates the site as Songshan Air Force Base. It hosts the Songshan Base Command, which is tasked with providing transportation for the president and vice president of Taiwan.

The base occupies a portion of a 182-hectare site in the Taipei central business district. Infrastructure includes the Fuxing North Road Underground Passage, a 677-meter tunnel completed in 2006 that runs beneath the runway to connect the north and south sides of the airport. The airfield supports domestic and international civilian flights in addition to its military functions. Historical aircraft hosted at the site include Type 96 G3M bombers and Ki-61 fighters.