Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan's largest, is losing its competitiveness in both passenger and cargo volume, a government report said Saturday, dpa reported.
According to the Transport Ministry report carried by Taiwan's Central News Agency, Taoyuan was number 15 in the world in cargo volume in 2007, down two places from 2006.
In Asia-Pacific alone, the airport was ranked number six for cargo, the same as 2006.
As for passenger volume in the Asia-Pacific, Taoyuan ranked 14 in 2007, down one place from 2006.
The report warned that while Taiwan's two main airports suffered a decline in cargo volume in 2007, airports in neighbouring countries saw their cargo volume rise.
In 2007, cargo volume at Beijing Capital International Airport grew 15 per cent, Shanghai Pudong International Airport saw the same increase and at Seoul's Incheon International Airport cargo grew 9.4 per cent.
Meanwhile cargo at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport fell 5.5 per cent and at Kaohsiung airport in the south of the island it fell 8.8 per cent.
Analysts have blamed the drop in business at Taiwan airports on Taiwan's five-decade ban on direct air links with China and on the fact that neighboring countries - China in particular - are building new airports.