It added that: "Efforts should be made to unswervingly carry out the anti-separatism battle, promote the region's economic and social development, safeguard and improve people's welfare, and enhance exchanges and integration of different ethnic groups."
The Politburo's priorities were to strength Tibetan infrastructure, which in turn will help fostering competitive industries while ensuring environmental protection "to achieve marked improvement in living conditions and more social cohesion."
The PLA/Civil integration of the airports in Tibet greatly helps Beijing to 'strengthen the infrastructure' and consolidate its presence on the Plateau, i.e. 'to stabilize Tibet' and be ready in case of a conflict with India.
In 2015, a joint statement from the People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) affirmed that the integration would include joint maintenance of airport support facilities, joint flight safety support and joint airport management.
Interestingly, the Lhasa Gongkar Airport in Tibet and Sunan Shuofang International Airport in Wuxi in Jiangsu province, were selected as the first two pilot PLA/civil airports to implement the 'integration' in China.
The PLAAF/CAAC circular further affirmed that "All the civil-military airports will conduct strengthened integration next year."
Apart from the strategic aspect, according to Xinhua: "Tibet welcomed a record 20 million tourists in 2015. ...This generated 28 billion yuan (4.26 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, nearly three times the figure in 2010. ...Regional capital Lhasa saw its tourism revenue more than triple over the past five years to an estimated 15.49 billion yuan in 2015. The number of tourists visiting the city rose by a yearly average of 23.32 percent in the period to 11.79 million in 2015."
In this context, it is interesting to draw a list all the major airpiorts on the Tibetan plateau.
List of Airports in the TARLhasa Gonggar Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport is the airport serving Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is located about 62 kilometres (39 mi) southwest of the city in Gonggar County of Shannan (Lhoka) Prefecture. The airport is close to the road to Tsetang, the capital of Shannan Prefecture.
At an elevation of 3,570 metres (11,710 ft), Lhasa Airport is one of the highest airports in the world. The airport was built in 1965, a second runway was built in 1994 and terminal facilities were upgraded in 2004.
Ngari Gunsa Airport
Ngari Gunsa Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the town of Shiquanhe (Ali or Gar) in Ngari Prefecture, in the southwest of China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the Indian border. It started its operations on July 1, 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet after Lhasa, Nyingchi [Nyingtri], and Chamdo airports.
Situated at 4,274 m (14,022 ft) above sea level, Gunsa Airport is the third highest airports in the world after Chamdo Bangda Airport (elevation 4,334 m (14,219 ft)) and Kangding Airport (elevation 4,280 m (14,042 ft)). 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).
Nyingtri Mainling Airport
Nyingchi Mainling Airport is an airport in Mainling, Nyingchi Prefecture. It is one of the most challenging landing ground in the world, since the airport is in a winding valley.
Nyingchi Airport is the third airport that Tibet has put into operation. Built at a cost of 97 million U.S. dollars: this includes investment by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC)
The airport is 2,949 meters above sea level, with a designed annual passenger flow of 120,000.
Chamdo Bamda Airport is located in Bamda near Chamdo.
The airport is the highest airport in the world, at an elevation of 4,334 metres (14,219 ft) and has the longest paved runway in the world, with a length of 5.5 km.
The low air density at this altitude makes a higher takeoff and landing true airspeed necessary, and therefore a longer runway. Also, the aircraft's engines produce less thrust at higher elevation than near sea-level.
The airport is 2.5 hours by mountain road from the county seat of Chamdo. The long commute is the result of no flat land closer to the city being available to construct an airport.
Shigatse Peace Airport
Shigatse Peace Airport or Shigatse Air Base, is a dual-use military and civilian airport serving Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region.
It is located in Jiangdang Township, 43 kilometers from Shigatse. With an elevation of 3,782 metres (12,408 ft), it is one of the highest airports in the world.
Construction of Shigatse Airport started in 1968 and was completed in 1973. It was solely for military use until 2010, when a 95 million US dollars expansion was completed. On 30 October 2010, the airport was opened as the fifth civilian airport in Tibet.
Nagchu Dagring Airport
Nagqu [Nagchu] Dagring Airport is an airport under construction near Nagchu in the Nagchu Prefecture of Tibet. When completed (later in 2015?), it will be the highest airport in the world at 4,436 m (14,554 ft), surpassing Chamdo Bangda Airport as the highest. Construction began in 2011 and is scheduled to take three/four years. The airport is part of a Chinese government development scheme to build 97 airports across China by 2020. By then, the authorities intend that four-fifths of China's population will be within a 90-minute drive of an airport.
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| Choedrak inspecting the site of the second airport in Lhasa |
On September 7, 2014, it was reported that the Lhasa Party’s Secretary Qizha (or Choedrak in Tibetan) went for an inspection tour on the site of the new airport.
The Tibet Daily said that preliminary planning and design work were carried out. Choedrak asked the people to fully understand the practical significance of the construction of this new airport.
The Township of Lhasa attaches “great importance to further strengthening the organization by building a first-class international airport,” he said.
List of airports in Sichuan ProvinceKangding Airport
In Tibetan areas
Kangding Airport is an airport serving Kangding, capital of the Gartse Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, China. It is located 40 kilometers northwest of the city center. Construction of the airport began in September 2006 and the airport started operation on April 26, 2009.
Situated at 4,280 m (14,042 ft) above sea level, Kangding Airport is the third highest airport in the world behind Daocheng Yading Airport and Chamdo Bamda Airport, and just higher than Ngari Gunsa Airport (elevation 4,274 m (14,022 ft)).
Hongyuan Airport (Ngaba)
In 2014, Xinhua reported, "Southwest China's Sichuan Province opened its fourth high-altitude airfield, which local officials hope will boost tourism in the heavily Tibetan-populated region."
According to the official news agency, the new Hongyuan Airport is located in Aba [Ngaba] Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture at an elevation of 3,535 meters.
The Prefecture is situated in northwestern Sichuan, at the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces.
Ngaba (or Aba in Chinese) was the epicenter of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, in which over 20,000 of local residents died.
The area has also been the epicenter of the wave of Tibetan self-immolations in 2011 and 2012.
While half of the 'Tibetan' self-immolations happened in Ngaba Prefecture, very few of them happened in Tibet Autonomous Region.
Daocheng Yading Airport
The 4,411-metre-high Kardze Daocheng Yading airport, being built in Kardtse (Garze), it became the world’s highest civilian airport when put into operation in 2014 (a year earlier than planned!!).
The Civil Aviation Administration said that its main purpose is to boost local tourism.
The Yading airport cost of 245 million US dollars. The Sichuan authorities plan to bring one million tourists (and get 1.5 billion yuan revenue!) by 2015. A quick return on investment!
But as important as tourism, the airport will facilitate the transportation of fresh troops from the Military Area Command in Chengdu to Kardtse prefecture in a short time. It has been one of the most restive areas on the Tibetan plateau.
The new Kardze Yading airport will greatly facilitate the transportation of PAP's reinforcements in case of unrest. With one stone, two birds are killed: the Tibetan protesters are 'pacified' and the deluge of Chinese tourists brings hefty revenues.
Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport
Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport also known as Jiuzhaigou Airport is an airport in Songpan County of Sichuan Province.
This airport serves two major scenic places of interest in this area, namely Huanglong, 53 kilometres away, and Jiuzhaigou, 88 km away. It is 3,448 metres (11,312 ft) above sea level.
Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport is about 240 km or 40 minutes flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, an aviation hub of Southwest China. It started flights on September 28, 2003, and has one runway of length 3,200 m and width 60 m.
In Qinghai ProvinceThe Huatugou aviation Airport
Tibetan areas
A few months ago, Xinhua reported that Qinghai Province will be home to another airport. The Huatugou aviation airport, presently under-construction, is being built in the Mongolian-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi.
The Qinghai Airport Company said the airport will cover an area of 180 hectares and it will cost 114 million U.S. dollars.
It is a big investment for a Prefecture which, according the 2010 census, has 489,338 inhabitants only. The airport will have a 3,600 meters runway and a terminal covering an area of some 3,000 square meters, which is relatively small. The airport is expected to be completed within a year.
Delingha Airport
Delingha Airport is an airport serving Delingha City, the capital of the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, China. The airport is located 29 kms southwest of the city center, on the south bank of Bayin River.
Construction began on 27 May 2011, with a total investment of 630 million yuan. The airport was opened on 16 June 2014, with the inaugural flight China Eastern Airlines MU2241 from Xining Caojiabao Airport. Delingha is the fourth civil airport in Qinghai.
Delingha has been one of the sites used by China to launch its missiles.
Golok Airport (under construction)
The Qinghai Airport Co. authorities announced that a new civil airport will open on the Tibetan Plateau by the end of 2015.
It is located in Golok Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province.
The airport has been built at an altitude of 3,500 meters.
It has a 3,800-meter-long runway and a 3,000-square-meter terminal.
The construction is expected to be completed by the end of October.
The announcement had to be made now, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (though Golok Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in Qinghai).
By the end of 2015, flights from Golok to Xining, Lhasa, and Chengdu will be introduced.
It will be the sixth civilian airport in Qinghai province and the first in Golok.
The Yushu Batang Airport
The Yushu Batang Airport is the airport serving Yushu City in Qinghai Province, China. It is located 18 kilometers to the south of the city center, Gyêgu [Jyekundo], at the 3,890 meters elevation about the sea level, which makes it the highest civilian airport in Qinghai Province, and one of the highest in the world.
The construction of the airport started in 2007. The first aircraft landed at the new airport on May 29, 2009, and the airport was officially opened on August 1, 2009.
It can receive A319 aircraft. The passenger terminal is designed to serve up to 80,000 passengers per year. According to the CAAC statistics, the airport served 7,484 passengers during 2009, the first year of its operation.
The airport played an important role in the delivery of rescue personnel and relief supplies to the area affected by the 2010 Yushu earthquake.
In Gansu ProvinceGannan Xiahe Airport
Tibetan areas
Gannan Xiahe Airport is an airport in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. It is located in Xiahe County, 72 kilometers from the county seat and 56 kilometers from Hezuo, the capital of Gannan Prefecture. Construction started in September 2010 with a total investment of 722 million yuan, and the airport was opened on 19 August 2013.
In Yunnan ProvinceDiqing [Dechen] Shangri-La Airport
Tibetan areas
Diqing Shangri-La Airport is an airport serving Shangri-La City, Diqing [Dechen] Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.
Accorging to the Chinese propaganda, "Shangri-la, a place where the majority people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, is full of religious atmosphere amid the sutra streamers everywhere.Shangri-la has an area of 11,613 square kilometers populated with near 130,000 people who are mainly Tibetans."
It is one of the main sites on the plateau for 'Tibet tourism' where hundreds of thousands of Chinese visitors rush every year in search of some exoticism.
In Xinjiang ProvinceHotan Airport
Hotan Airport is an airport serving Hotan, a city in the autonomous region of Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China.
List of airports in Sichuan ProvinceJiuzhai Huanglong Airport
At the periphery of the Tibetan plateau
Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport, also known as Jiuzhaigou Airport is an airport in Songpan County.
This airport serves two major scenic places of interest in this area, namely Huanglong, 53 kilometres away, and Jiuzhaigou, 88 km away. It is 3,448 metres (11,312 ft) above sea level.
It is located about 240 km or 40 minutes flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, an aviation hub of Southwest China. It started flights on September 28, 2003, and has one runway of length 3,200 m and width 60 m.
Panzhihua Bao'anying Airport
Panzhihua Bao'anying Airport is the airport serving the city of Panzhihua in China's Sichuan province. The airport was opened in December 2003. Construction of the airport began in 2000 and cost a total of 1.1 billion yuan. The airport was closed on 25 June 2011 after a major landslide, and was reopened on 29 June 2013 after two years of repair.
Guangyuan Panlong Airport
Guangyuan Panlong Airport is an airport serving Guangyuan, Sichuan province.
Guanghan Airport
Guanghan Airport is an airport southeast of Guanghan. Formerly a military airfield, known as Kwanghan Airfield (A-3) during World War II, it is now used by Civil Aviation Flight University of China for pilot training.
Yibin Caiba Airport
Yibin Caiba Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the city of Yibin in southern Sichuan Province of China. Located in the town of Caiba in Cuiping District, the airport was expanded twice in 1991 and 1993.
In 2011 Yibin Caiba Airport served 326,000 passengers, a 12.4% increase over the previous year, and 2,737.6 tons of cargo. As the airport's current location limits its capability to expand, in May 2012 the State Council of China approved the building of the new Yibin Wuliangye Airport to replace Caiba Airport.
Luzhou Lantian Airport
Luzhou Lantian Airport is an airport serving the city of Luzhou in Sichuan Province. Luzhou Airport was built in 1945 and initially served an air route between China and India by the US Air Force during the World War II. Services were suspended in the 1960s, but later it was used for training purposes by the Chinese Air Force. Major renovations and expansions were completed in January 2001.
Xichang Qingshan Airport
Xichang Qingshan Airport is an airport serving Xichang, the capital city of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The airport started an expansion project in February 2010.
Nanchong Gaoping Airport
Mianyang Nanjiao Airport is an airport serving the city of Mianyang in Sichuan Province, China. It is located in the southern suburbs of Mianyang (Nanjiao means "southern suburbs" in Chinese), 10 kilometers from the city center.
Opened on 28 April 2001, Mianyang Nanjiao is the second largest airport in Sichuan after Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The airport is also used for pilot training by the Civil Aviation Flight University of China.
In 2011 Mianyang Nanjiao Airport served 622,816 passengers, ranking 66th among China's airports. It also handled 4,491.5 tons of cargo and 207,140 aircraft movements.
In Qinhai ProvinceXining Caojiabao Airport
At the periphery of the Tibetan plateau
Xining Caojiabao Airport is an airport serving Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, China. It is located in Huzhu County, Haidong, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of downtown Xining. The airport began operation in 1991, and in October 2011 a new 3,800 meter long runway was built to replace the old one.
In Yunnan ProvinceDali Airport
At the periphery of the Tibetan plateau
Dali Airport is an airport in Dali (actually Xiaguan) in Yunnan Province.
Lijiang Sanyi Airport
Lijiang Sanyi Airport is an airport serving Lijiang, Yunnan province, China.
Built in 1995, the civil airport is 25 km to the south of the city proper.
The airport has one runway of 3,000 metres in length with turning bases at both ends of the runway.
Tibet Airlines recently opened a new air route, a daily service from Chongqing to Lijiang.
Dehong Mangshi Airport
Dehong Mangshi Airport is an airport serving Mang City in Dehong, Yunnan Province. It was formerly called Luxi Mangshi Airport.
Baoshan Yunduan Airport
Baoshan Yunduan Airport is an airport in Baoshan in Yunnan.
Lincang Airport
Lincang Airport is an airport serving the city of Lincang in Yunnan province, southwestern China. The airport started operation on March 25, 2001. The airport is 22.5 km from the center of the city in the town of Boshang.
Tengchong Tuofeng Airport
Tengchong Tuofeng Airport is an airport serving Tengchong County in Yunnan Province. It is located near Tuofeng Village 12 kilometers south of the county seat. The airport was opened on 16 February 2009.
In Xinjiang ProvinceQiemo Airport
Qiemo Airport is an airport serving Qiemo Town and the rest of Qiemo County, in the Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.
Kashgar Airport
Kashgar Airport, also known as Kashi Airport, is an airport serving Kashgar (also known as Kashi), a city in Uyghur autonomous region of Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China.
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