Flights departing from Lhasa decrease as winter approches

09:13, October 27, 2009

The plane implementing Air China's CA4112 Flight from Beijing arrives at Gonggar airport in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 10, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)

Starting from Oct 25, China's airlines began to adopt winter and spring schedules with fewer flights on three major air routes, namely that routes from Lhasa to Chengdu, Chongqing and Beijing.

The new schedules will run till March 27, 2010. The China Southern Airlines has canceled its flights from Lhasa to Beijing and Sichuan Airlines has called off its afternoon flights from Lhasa to Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province.

During the five-month period, there will be only one flight managed by Air China in the afternoon from Lhasa to Chengdu.

Meanwhile, the number of flights from Lhasa to Chengdu was cut to seven from precious eleven per day, with Air China becoming the only airline operating the Lhasa-Beijing flight.

As to the flight between Lhasa and Chongqing, Air China reduced the number of its daily flights to three each week. China Southern Airlines cut its two flights daily to one, with the Lhasa-Beijing air route via Chongqing canceled. Air China is the only airline running non-stop daily flight from Lhasa to Beijing.

For the Lhasa-Guangzhou air route, China Southern Airlines still operates one flight each day.

As to night flights, Air China has doubled its flights between Lhasa to Chengdu to two each week from precious one a week.

Daily flights from Nyingchi Prefecture in southeastern Tibet to Chengdu are still available during the period, according to a staff of the Lhasa Business Office of Air China.

Meanwhile, electronic air tickets will replace paper tickets soon for the air route from Chamdo Prefecture in eastern Tibet to Chengdu. Then passengers can buy tickets for flights to Chambo anywhere across China.

Source: Xinhuanet