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http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/china-opens-worlds-highest-civilian-airport-8C11167656

China opens world's highest civilian airport

Sept. 16, 2013.

China opened the world's highest civilian airport on Monday, in a restive and remote Tibetan region of southwestern Sichuan province, which will cut journey times from the provincial capital from two days to a little more than one hour.

Daocheng Yading airport in Garzi, a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of Sichuan, is 4,411 meters (14,472 feet) above sea level, and overtakes Qamdo airport in Tibet, which sits at 4,334 meters above sea level, for the title of world's highest.

The official Xinhua news agency said flights would initially connect with Chengdu, the provincial capital, otherwise a two-day bus trip away. Flights to cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing will begin at a later date.

The 1.58 billion yuan ($258 million) airport, designed to handle 280,000 passengers a year, will help open up the nearby Yading Nature Reserve to tourism, Xinhua added, referring to an area renowned for its untouched natural beauty.

China has embarked upon a multi-billion-dollar program in recent years to revamp old airports and build new ones, especially in the remote west, as a way of boosting the economy.

Some of these airports have been located in Tibetan regions, whose population chafes at Chinese political control, and often have a dual military purpose so troops can be bought in quickly during periods of unrest.

Garzi has been the scene of numerous self-immolation protests against Chinese rule in the last three years or so and remains under tight security.

A Tibetan woman uses her cellphone to take photos of a flight that touched down at Daocheng Yading airport, the world's highest-altitude civilian airport at 4,411 meters (14,471 feet)above the sea level, in Daocheng of Garzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, known as "the last Shangri-La'', in southwest China's Sichuan province Monday Sept. 16, 2013.
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Nimish · Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:04 pm Post subject:

This seems to be really in the middle of no where!

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daocheng_Yading_Airport

The_Goat · Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 1:35 pm Post subject:

The location isn't a coincidence at all. Did you notice how close it is to Arunachal Pradesh? Barely and hour's flying time!

For a supersonic combat aircraft it would be much less.
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Nimish · Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:17 pm Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 8:32 pm Post subject:

Daocheng Yading airport in Garzi is connected now to Chengdu. This city Chengdu is the headquarter of the military district of the region containing Tibet Autonomous region and entire Sino Indian border including Ladak, Shikim , Arunachal Pradesh. I think it is nothing but extension of Chinese military control in this region. Why need to use the term ‘Civil Airport” rather call it Army Transport Center!
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