(TibetanReview.net, Jun10, 2018) – China says it will start building in 2019 three more civil airports in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), bringing the total there to eight. The purpose was stated to be to promote tourism and economic growth.
The airports will be in Shannan (Tibetan: Lhokha), Xigaze (Shigatse) and Ali (Ngari), reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Jun 8, citing the regional government and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The report noted that the region currently had five civil airports in TAR: Lhasa, Qamdo (Chamdo), Nyingchi (Nyingtri), Ali and Xigaze, with nine airlines operating 86 routes, including an international one.
The new airports will be built by three different Chinese companies – the Shannan airport by Capital Airport Holding Company, the Xigaze airport by Shanghai Airport Authority, and the Ali airport by West Airport Group.
The TAR’s economy, the smallest among all PRC provinces and regions, expanded at 10 percent last year to 131 billion yuan ($20.46 billion), noted a Reuters report Jun 9.