Ngari Gunsa Airport - Misplaced Pages

Ali Kunsha Airport, also called Ngari Günsa Airport, (IATA: NGQ, ICAO: ZUAL), also known as Shiquanhe Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the town of Shiquanhe in Ngari Prefecture, between Gar Chongsar and Sogmai, Günsa Township, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. It started operations on 1 July 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet after Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Qamdo airports.

Situated at 4,274 m (14,022 ft) above sea level, Gunsa Airport is the fourth highest airport in the world after Daocheng Yading Airport, Qamdo Bamda Airport, and Kangding Airport. 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).

As Shiquanhe (Ali) is only a one-day bus drive (about 330 km) from the settlement of Darchen situated just north of Lake Manasarovar, facing Mount Kailash, it is expected to benefit pilgrims to these two sites, which are considered sacred by Hindus, Buddhists, Bonpa and Jains. With the opening of Shigatse Peace Airport in October 2010, the five airports, coupled with the Qinghai–Tibet railway and a network of roads, are expected to increase tourism to scenic and holy sites in Tibet.

Military buildup

Since the last major standoff between China and India at Doklam in 2017 military presence at the Ngari Gunsa Airport has been expanded with Shenyang J-16s and J-11s fighter jets stationed. The airport is 200 kilometres from Pangong Tso, Ladakh.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
China Eastern Airlines	Kashgar, Xi'an
Lucky Air	Kashgar, Ürümqi
Tibet Airlines	Lhasa, Shache, Xining

Footnotes

阿里昆莎机场 Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine
^ Tibet's fourth civil airport opens Archived 2010-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
The world’s third highest airport opens with milestone Airbus A319 flight Archived 2014-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
西藏阿里昆莎机场迎来首航为世界海拔第三高
Mayhew and Kohn (2005), p. 209.
^ "Pilgrims to benefit from new Tibet Airport near Mt Kailash."
Albinia (2008), p. 288,
Gyurme (199), p. 36.
Chan, Minnie (2020-06-04). "China flexing military muscle in border dispute with India". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
"China starts construction activities near Pangong Lake amid border tensions with India". Business Today. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
^ "航线动态｜西宁-莎车-阿里新航线开通". Retrieved 30 September 2024.

References

Albinia, Alice. (2008) Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River. First American Edition (2010) W. W. Norton & Company, New York. ISBN 978-0-393-33860-7.
Dorje, Gyurme. (2009) Tibet Handbook. Footprint Handbooks, Bath, England. ISBN 978-1-906098-32-2.
Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005) Tibet. 6th Edition. ISBN 1-74059-523-8.

v t e Ngari Prefecture, Tibet
County-level divisions	Burang Coqên Gar Rutog Gê'gyai Gêrzê Zanda
Towns and villages	Alhar Ali Asog Burang Camco Coqên Dêmqog Dêrub Gongqên Gormain Gyungcang Jaggang Langmar Minsar Rayü Risong Rutog Shiquanhe Tholing Tsaparang Wüjang Zoco
Geography	Bangda Lake Bangong Co Dawa Lake Guozha Lake Longmu Lake Lumajangdong Lake Orba Co Tong Tso Zhari Nanmu Lake
Landmarks	Tholing Monastery
Sciences	Ngari Networking Project Shiquan River Sand Control Project

Airports in China

Civil aviation in China, Statistics

North
Beijing	Beijing (Capital) Beijing (Daxing)
Tianjin	Tianjin
Hebei	Chengde Handan Qinhuangdao Shijiazhuang Tangshan Xingtai Zhangjiakou
Shanxi	Changzhi Datong Linfen Lüliang Shuozhou Taiyuan Xinzhou Yuncheng
Inner Mongolia	Alxa Left Banner Alxa Right Banner Arxan Baotou Bayannur Chifeng Ejin Banner Erenhot Hailar Hohhot Holingol Manzhouli Ordos Tongliao Ulanhot Ulanqab Wuhai Xilinhot Zhalantun

Northeast
Liaoning	Anshan Changhai Chaoyang Dalian Dandong Jinzhou Shenyang Yingkou
Jilin	Baicheng Changbaishan Changchun Songyuan Tonghua Yanji
Heilongjiang	Daqing Fuyuan Harbin Heihe Jiagedaqi Jiamusi Jiansanjiang Jixi Mohe Mudanjiang Qiqihar Wudalianchi Yichun

East
Shanghai	Shanghai (Hongqiao) Shanghai (Pudong)
Jiangsu	Changzhou Huai'an Lianyungang Nanjing Nantong Wuxi Xuzhou Yancheng Yangzhou
Zhejiang	Hangzhou Ningbo Quzhou Taizhou Wenzhou Yiwu Zhoushan
Anhui	Anqing Chizhou Fuyang Hefei Huangshan Wuhu
Fujian	Fuzhou Longyan Quanzhou Sanming Wuyishan Xiamen
Jiangxi	Ganzhou Jingdezhen Jinggangshan Jiujiang Nanchang Shangrao Yichun
Shandong	Dongying Heze Jinan Jining Linyi Qingdao Rizhao Weifang Weihai Yantai

South Central
Henan	Anyang Luoyang Nanyang Xinyang Zhengzhou
Hubei	Enshi Ezhou Jingzhou Shennongjia Shiyan Wuhan Xiangyang Yichang
Hunan	Changde Changsha Chenzhou Hengyang Huaihua Shaoyang Xiangxi Yongzhou Yueyang Zhangjiajie
Guangdong	Foshan Guangzhou Huizhou Jieyang Meixian Shaoguan Shenzhen Zhanjiang Zhuhai
Guangxi	Baise Beihai Guilin Hechi Liuzhou Nanning Wuzhou Yulin
Hainan	Haikou Qionghai Sansha Sanya

Southwestern
Chongqing	Chongqing Qianjiang Wanzhou Wulong Wushan
Sichuan	Bazhong Chengdu (Shuangliu) Chengdu (Tianfu) Daocheng Dazhou Garze Guangyuan Hongyuan Jiuzhaigou Kangding Langzhong Luzhou Mianyang Nanchong Panzhihua Xichang Yibin
Guizhou	Anshun Bijie Guiyang Kaili Libo Liping Liupanshui Tongren Xingyi Zunyi (Maotai) Zunyi (Xinzhou)
Yunnan	Baoshan Cangyuan Dali Diqing Kunming Lancang Lijiang Lincang Mangshi Ninglang Pu'er Tengchong Wenshan Xishuangbanna Zhaotong
Tibet	Lhasa Ngari (Burang) Ngari (Gunsa) Nyingchi Qamdo Shannan Shigatse (Peace) Shigatse (Tingri)

Northwestern
Shaanxi	Ankang Hanzhong Xi'an Yan'an Yulin
Gansu	Dunhuang Gannan Jiayuguan Jinchang Lanzhou Longnan Qingyang Tianshui Zhangye
Qinghai	Delingha Golmud Golog Huatugou Qilian Xining Yushu
Ningxia	Guyuan Yinchuan Zhongwei
Xinjiang	Aksu Altay Aral Bole Fuyun Hami Hotan Kanas Karamay Kashgar Korla Kuqa Nalati Qiemo Qitai Ruoqiang Shache Shihezi Tacheng Tashkurgan Tumxuk Turpan Ürümqi Yining Yutian Zhaosu

Under construction
Balikun Bengbu Bozhou Dejiang Dingbian Foshan (Gaoming) Fugu Gonghe Hejing Hohhot (new) Honghe Jiaxing Leshan Lishui Panzhou Ruijin Suifenhe Weining Xiamen (new) Zaozhuang Zhaotong (new)