World Tibet Network News Thursday, May 28, 1998

Xinhua is the official news agency of the People's Republic of China

LHASA (May 28) XINHUA - The day barely breaks, yet Gonggar Airport in this capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region has already awakened to another day as its air traffic control, security and cargo departments are bustling with preparations for the first flight.

The first plane lands at 8:20 just as the first gleam of morning sunlight shines on the mountains surrounding the airport, which is 3,500 meters above sea level. Lhasa is two time zones west of Beijing.

Among the 190 people disembarking the SZ4001 flight, 3 percent are Tibetans and 25 percent foreign travelers, with the majority business people and tourists.

One of the passengers is on a tour of China with her husband and mother-in-law. Before arriving in Lhasa, they had visited Beijing and Chengdu, with plans to go on to Xi'an and Hong Kong.

"The whole of my family is fascinated with China," said the U.S. tourist. She expressed her regret on their short 10-day stay in China, and looked forward to returning some day.

Passenger flow has been on the rise in recent years as more flights are landing in Lhasa, said Qin Hucheng, deputy director of Lhasa's Civil Aviation Administration. Last year, Gonggar Airport handled 160,000 passengers.

July and August are the airport's peak season with the influx of tourists and the exodus of Tibetan youths who go to other cities to continue their education, Qin said.

Gonggar Airport has opened four domestic routes -- Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing and Xi'an -- and one to Katmandu in neighboring Nepal, meaning 25 regular flights each week.

More air routes are scheduled to open between Lhasa and Guangzhou, Kunming, Xining and Shanghai over the next few years.

At 1:40 p.m. the sixth and last flight of the day leaves Gonggar. As a result of the plateau climate where airflows are especially active in the latter half of the day, Qin said, there are seldom an afternoon or an evening flight.

Gonggar, one of the world's highest airports, has kept an impeccable safety record since it went into service in 1964, Qin said.