01. May 2006
Third civil airport in the TAR opens
(Xinhua) Chinese civil aviation officials have given the go ahead to the third civil airport in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Construction of Nyingchi Airport started in October 2004 and has cost more than 700 million yuan (UK£46.15m; US$87.5m; EUR€67.8m). The airport is expected to have an annual passenger flow of 120,000 and is situated near Nyingtri, (Chin: Nyingchi) in Nyingchi Prefecture. The area is traditionally known by Tibetans as Kongpo, and has borders with India and Myanmar. It has long been favoured by Communist party officials for its gentle climate and natural beauty. The government is planning to use the establishment of the airport as a part of a strategy to develop the area around the nearby Yarlung Tsangbo River Canyon for tourism.