Ngari Gunsa Airport

Ngari Gunsa Airport
阿里昆莎机场
ལྷ་ས་གོང་དཀར་རྫོང་
Ālǐ Kūnshā Jīchǎng
IATA: NGQ – ICAO: ZUAL
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Serves Shiquanhe
Location Ngari (Ali), Tibet
Elevation AMSL 4,274 m / 14,022 ft
Coordinates 32°06′31″N 80°03′10″E / 32.10861°N 80.05278°E / 32.10861; 80.05278Coordinates: 32°06′31″N 80°03′10″E / 32.10861°N 80.05278°E / 32.10861; 80.05278
Map
NGQ

Location of airport in Tibet

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
4,500 14,764 Asphalt
Source: [1]
Ngari Gunsa Airport
Simplified Chinese 阿里昆莎机场

Ngari Gunsa Airport (IATA: NGQ, ICAO: ZUAL) is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the town of Shiquanhe in Ngari Prefecture, in the southwest of China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the Indian border. It started operations on 1 July 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet after Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Qamdo airports.[2]

Situated at 4,274 m (14,022 ft) above sea level, Gunsa Airport is the fourth highest airport in the world after Daocheng Yading Airport, Qamdo Bamda Airport, and Kangding Airport.[3][4] Gunsa airport has a 4,500-meter runway. It is expected to handle 120,000 passengers by 2020. Construction began in May 2007 and cost an estimated 1.65 billion yuan (241.22 million U.S. dollars).[2]

As Shiquanhe (Ali) is only a one-day bus drive (about 330 km) from the settlement of Darchen situated just north of Lake Mansarovar, facing Mount Kailash,[5] it is expected to benefit pilgrims to these two sites, which are considered sacred by Hindus,[6] Buddhists, Bonpa and Jains.[7][8] With the opening of Shigatse Peace Airport in October 2010, the five airports, coupled with the Qinghai–Tibet railway and a network of roads, are expected to increase tourism to scenic and holy sites in Tibet.[6]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
China Eastern Airlines Kashgar
Tibet Airlines Lhasa
Lucky Air Kashgar, Urumqi

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 阿里昆莎机场
  2. 1 2 Tibet's fourth civil airport opens
  3. ↑ The world’s third highest airport opens with milestone Airbus A319 flight
  4. ↑ 西藏阿里昆莎机场迎来首航 为世界海拔第三高
  5. ↑ Mayhew and Kohn (2005), p. 209.
  6. 1 2 "Pilgrims to benefit from new Tibet Airport near Mt Kailash."
  7. ↑ Albinia (2008), p. 288,
  8. ↑ Gyurme (199), p. 36.

References

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