Xizang set to open international flight route to Singapore

Flights to Singapore are scheduled to take off from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport on Dec 25, with more international and regional routes, to Hong Kong and other destinations, slated to take off early next year, according to the Xizang autonomous regional administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Along with launching the new routes, Xizang Airport Group and Lhasa Gonggar International Airport Customs also agreed to enhance cooperation in elevating the airport's functions and service capabilities during a recent meeting in Lhasa.

They will expedite the construction of intelligent card gates at the airport's international cargo station to streamline and modernize the clearance process.

Li Hong, head of the administration and president of Xizang Airport Group, emphasized the crucial role of airport Customs in facilitating Xizang's external openness, international collaboration, economic exchanges and promoting high-quality growth.

Xizang Airlines, the first high-altitude airline in China and the only base airline in the region, has seen flight volume stay top in the region, promoting regional economic and social development, he said.

Airlines are expected to increase the frequency of flights on high-demand routes and optimize more flights on routes involving Xizang, thus meeting the travel needs of passengers, Li added.

So far this year, Xizang Airport Group has launched 10 new domestic routes and resumed international flights connecting Lhasa and Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, which is currently the only international flight route in Xizang.

"The opening of international air routes will enhance Xizang's international visibility, attracting more domestic and foreign tourists to explore the region, and it will also further expand the regional tourism market," said Wang Yueyue, an employee of the culture and tourism department in Xizang. "With ample capacity and a well-connected air network, these routes will serve Xizang, carrying people to the beautiful snowy plateau and enabling local people to venture out into the wider world."

According to the administration, Xizang saw its annual air passenger throughput top 7 million for the first time on Dec 7, a record high, highlighting the steady growth momentum of the civil aviation sector and the local economy.

It added that this year, the regional civil aviation sector is expected to handle 69,000 takeoffs and landings, passenger throughput of 7.73 million and cargo throughput of 53,000 metric tons, growing 13.6 percent, 12.1 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively.

The tourism market in Xizang has also seen robust growth this year.

As of the end of October, Xizang had received nearly 61 million visits by domestic and overseas tourists, an increase of 15.72 percent year-on-year, data from the culture and tourism department showed. Inbound tourists totaled 300,000 visits, an increase of 192.5 percent year-on-year.