BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Air China, the nation's biggest carrier, said Wednesday it will launch the nation's first direct flight between Beijing and Lhasa, the capital city of southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region, beginning July 10 to promote tourism.

This file photo shows the Gongkhar Airport in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Photo: China Tibet Information Center) Photo Gallery>>>

    The three-hour-fifty-minute flight will be operated by the Airbus A330. Previously, travelers had to transfer through Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province neighboring Tibet. The transfer added two hours to the flight.

    CA4122 will leave at 7 a.m. everyday from the Beijing Capital International Airport, and arrive at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 10:50 a.m..

Gongkhar Airport in Tibet enters digital communication age 

    BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A 800M trunked communication system was put into operation recently in the Gongkhar Airport in Lhasa, capital city of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

    This signifies that the ground communication of the Gongkhar Airport has stepped into the digital age. The system will improve the signal quality and extend the communication distance of analog interphone systems.  Full story

Sanjiangyuan Airport to adopt RNP technology for navigation 

    BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The nearly completed Sanjiangyuan Airport, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Qinghai Province, will adopt the technology of required navigation performance (RNP) for airport ground movement guidance and control.

    The RNP technology, most advanced in China, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and aviation computers, can ensure accurate flights according to the preset course, effectively improving flight safety.  Full story