It was branded a "national disgrace" for its leaky roof, shabby interiors and drab facade.
But no more. A dramatic facelift has transformed Taiwan's 33-year-old Taoyuan International Airport, which recorded 25 million arrivals last year, from a tired facility to one that is wowing local and foreign travellers alike.
The NT$2 billion (US$68 million) upgrading, more than two years in the making, even helped the airport climb 28 places to 11th in the latest quarterly ranking of 193 airports by the Montreal-based Airports Council International, a trade organisation of the world's airports.
It was the airport's best performance in the ranking, which is based on passengers' feedback on 36 categories, from cleanliness to check-in service.
One user who has come away impressed by the airport's makeover is Regine Ong, a Singaporean bank executive who has vacationed in Taiwan three times in the past two years.
"The airport has become much more spacious. It's also brighter and the signs are large and clear. There are more toilets and it's cleaner too," said Ong, 35, who visited the island two weeks ago.
"Previously, the building looked old, the walkways were narrow and the ceilings low. It looked dim," she added.
As recently as last year, the airport was something of an embarrassment to Taiwanese.
Passengers, especially those arriving in Terminal 1, sometimes compared its drab look to facilities in developing countries like North Korea.
Travellers noticed "showers" along the walkway between the airport's two terminals on rainy days.
Leaks were also reported in the toilets and even in the departure lounge of the older Terminal 1, forcing staff to place buckets on the floor to catch the water. Taiwanese media called it "ridiculous" and "disgraceful".
In 2009, refurbishment works began on Terminal 1, which serves 22 airlines, including China Airlines, Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways.
Designed by Japanese architect Norihiko Dan, the project features a stunning new roof that resembles traditional Chinese sloping roofs.
Constructed with aluminium, cement and glass, the roof has made the terminal more spacious by elevating the existing ceiling and letting in natural light.
New facilities include a wing to the arrival hall, counters for tourist information and related services, and a food street offering local snacks like bubble tea and beef noodles at prices as low as NT$30.
When the upgrading concludes by June next year, the airport will have expanded by 12,000 sq m and increased its annual capacity by more than 10 per cent to 32 million passengers, said airport spokesman Sun Tai-hsiang.
"Overall, it will look a bit more like an international airport," he added.
The overhaul is part of the government's drive to promote tourism as a new engine of the economy.
The number of international arrivals soared from 3.8 million in 2008 to six million - including 300,000 from Singapore - last year, and is hoped to reach 10 million by 2016. Out of the six million international visitors last year, 1.7 million were from China.
Work on a third terminal for Taoyuan airport is expected to start in 2014 and be completed by 2018.
However, more needs to be done for the airport to catch up with the likes of South Korea's Incheon, Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok and Singapore's Changi.
For example, a subway line from the airport to Taipei, some 50km away, has been repeatedly delayed. Travellers have to count on buses and taxis instead, which cost up to NT$1,200 (US$40) and take 1 1/2 hours per trip.
By Lee Seok Hwai