Construction of Ali Airport in Tibet continues

The construction of the Tibet Ali Airport, a key project of Tibet and the Civil Aviation Administration of China under the 11th Five-Year Plan, is proceeding smoothly. Technicians have overcome difficulties such as bad weather, a short construction period, and the time-consuming transportation of materials. The airport earthwork and foundation treatment projects have been finished, and the runway surface project and terminal building area are being fully constructed. The airport has an altitude of 4,227 meters. Its flight area grade is 4D, which is designed to accommodate the landings and takeoffs of aircraft with plateau operation performance such as the A319 and B737-300. The new runway is 4,500 meters long and 45 meters wide. The terminal building area is designed to handle an annual throughput of 120,000 passengers by 2020. The terminal building area is 3,500 square meters, with an apron designed for two Class C aircraft and two Class D aircrafts’ self-taxi to and from the apron. Meanwhile auxiliary facilities will be established including communication and navigation, weather, power supply, fuel, water supply and drainage, firefighting and rescue. The whole project is estimated to be finished in 2010. The airport is another important gateway to Tibet in addition to Lhasa Gonggar Airport and Chamdo Bangda Airport.