Domestic Terminal

05:00 to 21:30, the Domestic Terminal runs on island time

Kaohsiung’s Domestic Terminal (code D) is a single-ground-floor building handling short hops to Hualien, Penghu, Qimei, Kinmen and other island routes on Mandarin Airlines, EVA Air, Uni Air and Daily Air. Think regional shed, not big-city hub: older interior, basic seating, and just a small souvenir shop after security instead of a full food court or mall-style retail.

Flights here are heavily banked between roughly 05:00 and 21:30, then the terminal basically shuts down. Police and staff clear overnight campers and the doors close around 21:00–21:30, so you cannot rely on sleeping in D if you land late or have a crack-of-dawn departure. If you need a real overnight, regulars head into Kaohsiung city using the MRT from the adjacent international side instead of trying to stay in the building.

The terminal is arranged in a straightforward one-level layout: check-in counters for Mandarin Airlines, EVA Air, Uni Air and Daily Air by the entrance, security in a single line behind them, then a compact gate area and souvenir shop airside. No numbered wings or long concourses here; walking time from the front door to the furthest gate is usually under 5 minutes, even with a light queue at security.

A raised pedestrian overpass links Domestic (D) with the International Terminal (I), and that bridge is the main hack for food and services. If you check in for a Uni Air or Mandarin Airlines flight at D and have 45–60 minutes to spare before boarding, head over that overpass to I for proper meals, coffee chains and more shops, then walk back once your boarding time is inside 30 minutes.

Amenities inside D are minimal: reviewers consistently mention only a single souvenir shop past security selling local snacks and small gifts, with no listed sit-down restaurant, bar or lounge. Drinks and simple packaged food are limited enough that people flying to Penghu or Kinmen often grab a meal in the International Terminal or in the MRT station area before returning to D for boarding.

Lounges are effectively a non-topic in this building: there are no catalogued airline lounges for EVA Air or Mandarin Airlines on the domestic side, and no pay-per-use facilities. If you hold EVA Air status and want lounge time, you’ll be doing that on an international ticket over in I, not on these short domestic legs from Kaohsiung.

Domestic flights connecting from international arrivals use this older terminal, and regulars avoid tight late-evening connections from I to D because of the early 21:00–21:30 closure. If your inbound international flight lands after about 19:00 and you are eyeing the last Daily Air or Uni Air hop, build a healthy buffer or plan to stay in the city and fly out the next morning.

Watch your timing on food and boarding: check in at D, cross the pedestrian overpass to the International Terminal for a proper meal or coffee, then set an alarm to be back through domestic security at least 30 minutes before departure, since there is almost nothing to eat or drink once you pass the scanners.