A second flight path to enter Tibet in southwest China has been opened, reported Tibet Daily, a local newspaper.

Flight TV9827 of Tibet Airlines took off from Lhasa’s Gonggar Airport for Lanzhou City in Gansu Province, announcing the operation of the new air route on July 5.

The new air route flies over Yushu of Qinghai Province, covering an almost straight-line path, saving 260-kilometer air distance and 20 minutes for flight TV9827, while the previous route detoured above Tibet’s Nagqu and Qinghai’s Golmud.

The route from Chengdu to Lhasa, a major route for flights to Tibet in the past, has a limited capacity due to the complicated terrain conditions, resulting in frequent flight delays and unsatisfied supply for the increasing transportation needs.

Therefore the local authority promoted the air traffic administration and planned a new route from Lhasa to Xining via Yushu. In the future, flights to Xi’an and Beijing will also turn to the new route, and 20% of Chengdu-Lhasa route will be shunted to relieve its pressure.

Source: China Tibet Online

（Editor：陈丽丹、姚春）