Lhasa Gonggar plans non-stop Singapore route

Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of Tibet Autonomous Region, the Civil Aviation Administration recently issued an approval letter, and Lhasa Gonggar Airport was officially renamed Lhasa Gonggar International Airport.

Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, served by flights of Tibet Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Air China, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines, etc., is 3,569 m above sea level. It is the capital airport of Tibet Autonomous Region and a regional hub airport. It is one of the important hub airports for China's opening up to South Asia, an important gateway for Tibet Autonomous Region to integrate into the national "One Belt One Road" Initiative strategy, and an important support for flight expansionp. The airport is first put into use on 23 November 1966. 

Lhasa Gonggar has undergone three renovations and expansions. It has a total of 3 terminals and 2 runways; 139 routes have been opened, with 11 airlines operating. A round-trip passenger route from Lhasa to Kathmandu has been opened, operated by Himalaya Airlines, with one flight each on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In 2023, Lhasa Gonggar International Airport has safely supported 44,800 flights, served 5.471 million passengers, and handled 41,600 tons of cargo and mail, up 65.2%, 111.8%, and 43.7% year-on-year.

In order to optimize the functions of international ports and improve operational support capabilities and service quality, in June 2023, Lhasa Gonggar International Airport began to implement the overall renovation and expansion project of T1 and T2 terminals, upgrading the original T2 terminal to an international terminal, setting up an international functional area of ​​15,100 square meters, a transit area of ​​1,300 square meters, and a reserved international waiting area of ​​3,600 square meters. A new parking lot of 28,700 square meters, an oxygen generator room of 440 square meters and various supporting facilities will be built, and customs, border inspection and other facilities and equipment will be built at the same time. 

On 28 December 2023, the renovation project was completed and the T2 terminal was put into use as an international terminal. The usable area of ​​the original international terminal has increased by more than 5,000 square meters, and the number of security channels has increased by 2. The facilities and equipment are more modern, the functions are more complete, the process is smoother, and the environment is more comfortable.

The name change has further enhanced the visibility, competitiveness and influence of Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, which is conducive to better playing the role of Tibet Civil Aviation as the "transportation guarantee line", "air lifeline", "national unity line" and "social progress line", and is conducive to Tibet's further expansion of opening up and economic and social development. At present, in accordance with the unified deployment of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Civil Aviation Tibet Regional Bureau is actively planning to launch the Lhasa Gonggar-Changi route and the Lhasa Gonggar-Hong Kong regional route.