Download
Air traffic is about to get busier in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region because the Civil Aviation Administration of China and regional government agreed on Thursday to encourage airlines to offer more flights to the region.
The CAAC and regional government want airlines to establish more routes linking Lhasa, the regional capital, with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as several southeast and west Asian countries.
Li Jun, deputy director of the CAAC, said applications for new air routes to Tibet from other countries will be encouraged to aid the growth of Tibet's air passenger volume.
Currently, 32 routes operated by six airlines link with Tibet, but the only international destination among them is Katmandu in Nepal.
Li Haiying, general manager of Sichuan Airlines, said the company hopes to open new routes linking Lhasa with Nepal, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Tibet was once regarded as a difficult area to fly in because of its complicated geographic conditions and unpredictable weather.
However, air transportation in Tibet has maintained double-digit growth over the past five years.
Figures from CAAC's Tibet bureau indicate that more than 672,000 passengers traveled in or out of the region by air in the first five months of the year, a 25-percent annual increase.
Tibet's government chief Padma Choling said on Thursday that Tibet is striving to build itself into an international tourist destination with a goal of drawing 15 million visitors a year by 2017.
"The target has created much higher demands for Tibet's air transportation development," he said.
Local authorities also agreed on Thursday on a set of airport expansion and upgrading projects in Tibet.
The regional government has stepped up efforts to upgrade its infrastructure and optimize its transportation network to cater to the rising demand generated by tourism.
Construction of two new airports in Tibet's remote Nagqu and Nyingchi areas is under way. Meanwhile, two railways currently under construction will link Lhasa with the city of Xigaze and Nyingchi county.
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit16 Finding jobs随堂检测 新人教版必修3
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit2 Crossing limits随堂检测 新人教版必修3
2016高考英语一轮复习 Modules 4~6 外研版选修6
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit6 Going West课时达标检测 新人教版必修3
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 5《The Great Sports Personality 》外研版必修5
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit11 Scientific achievements随堂检测 新人教版必修2
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 2《Traffic Jam 》外研版必修4
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit8 Learning a foreign language随堂检测 新人教版必修3
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit14 Freedom fighters课时达标检测 新人教版必修2
女子用人齿代替象牙做首饰(组图)
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit14 Freedom fighters随堂检测 新人教版必修2
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 4《Great Scientists 》外研版必修4
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit2 News media课时达标检测 新人教版必修2
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit14 Zoology课时达标检测 新人教版必修3
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit12 Fact and fantasy课时达标检测 新人教版必修2
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit6 Going West随堂检测 新人教版必修3
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 6《Animals in Danger 》外研版必修5
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit14 Zoology随堂检测 新人教版必修3
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 6《Old and New 》外研版必修3
2016高考英语一轮复习 Modules 4~6 外研版选修8
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit11 Scientific achievements课时达标检测 新人教版必修2
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit3 Art and architecture随堂检测 新人教版必修2
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit8 Sports课时达标检测 新人教版必修1
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit2 Crossing limits课时达标检测 新人教版必修3
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit13 The water planet课时达标检测 新人教版必修2
2016高考英语一轮复习 Modules 1~3 外研版选修8
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 3《Adventure in Literature and the Cinema 》外研版必修5
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit19 Modern agriculture随堂检测 新人教版必修1
2016高考英语一轮复习 Module 4《Sandstorms in Asia 》外研版必修3
2016届高考英语一轮复习 Unit12 Education随堂检测 新人教版必修3