Travelers with disabilities go abroad alone — he helps them “wipe” after using the restroom at the airport

▲Words Instructor Liu Xianzhang would like to share with passengers.

ETtoday EBC News Cloud – Special Report Series on Transportation Ferry Workers, Part 2

A journey from departure to arrival — if we compare the vehicles along the way to boats shuttling to a central destination, then the service personnel working in buses, taxis, airports, and hotels are the “ferry operators,” steering the boats to their final stop. Their attitude throughout the process shapes the most beautiful scenery.

Reported and photographed by Reporter You t
ru / Taoyuan Airport

Pushing 320 wheelchairs in a day, assisting passengers with disabilities to access restrooms, and even lending money so they can get home. While the general public may focus on the hard work of flight attendants when traveling abroad, frequent travelers at Taoyuan Airport might have noticed this group of hardworking staff in white uniforms bustling around the terminals. They are the Passenger Service Team from Taoyuan Aviation Services (Taoying), where individual efforts weave a tight-knit safety net, forming the very first impression visitors have of Taiwan.

“In customer service, I just put myself in others’ shoes.” Instructor Liu Xianzhang, who works in ground services at the airport, said that because his grandmother had mobility issues, he understood the challenges faced by wheelchair users from a young age. He single-handedly took on most of the training for ground staff. “There’s a technique to pushing wheelchairs. We need to know where there are height differences on the airport floor, which areas are more comfortable, and how to keep passengers from feeling scared.”Familiar with every inch of the airport, from the flooring to spatial facilities, Liu Xianzhang insists that under no circumstances should passengers be allowed to come to harm.



Having worked at Taoying for 17 years providing airport services, Liu Xianzhang recalled handling passengers who needed assistance with toileting, even entering the restroom himself to help “clean them up.” He also once encountered a passenger at the airport who had no money to go home and ended up paying out of his own pocket to help them return.“Seeing someone with a disability traveling alone really tugs at my heart. I want to help them as much as I can.” Although he now serves as an instructor for the Passenger Service Team at Taoying, he still puts himself in passengers’ shoes and assists them personally.

Because wheelchair use is free at Taoyuan Airport, the volume of wheelchair transport is extremely high. On average, Taoying receives 320 wheelchair requests per day, meaning each staff member pushes about five wheelchairs. Liu Xianzhang shared that navigating between different floors in the airport is quite strenuous, and recently, he had to assist a 200-kilogram passenger with the help of four or five other ground staff.

Liu Xianzhang said that many foreign passengers take advantage of Taiwan airports’ free services, treating wheelchair reservations as a “perk.” Sometimes, a single connecting flight to Taiwan will reserve 40 wheelchairs, but after a brief layover, only seven passengers actually need them when departing for the next destination. He advises that, given the limited manpower at the airport, passengers should not exploit this benefit unless truly necessary, as it causes delays for those who really need the service. “Making passengers wait makes us anxious, but our resources are limited.”

Providing 24/7 passenger service often means not being able to go home for Chinese New Year for several years. Liu Xianzhang said that the greatest sense of achievement in his work comes from passengers’ gratitude, although there are occasional frustrations and moments of fatigue.But ensuring that passengers passing briefly through the airport leave with fond memories is the most precious and important goal. The unsung heroes of the airport can become the most beautiful part of someone’s journey.