China builds airport next to Everest

Come October, and Everest aspirants may find a new foothold in China, just about 100km from the Qomolangma (as the mountain is known in Tibetan) base camp. In a bid to turn its side of the world’s tallest peak into a climber’s paradise, China is building a new airport, to be called ‘Peace Airport’, in an apparent message to Tibetan rebels and, probably, India as well. The $71.7 million airport coming up in Xigaze (also called Shigatse) prefecture in Tibet, which shares borders with Nepal, Bhutan and India, also appears to be a politico-cultural coup of sorts. Besides climbers, the airport is expected to draw more visitors to the Tashilhunpo monastery of the Panchen Lama, appointed by the government and recently inducted into the Chinese parliament. 


Notably, the Panchen Lama has played a key role in helping the government run a campaign against the Dalai Lama. Xigaze, the second largest city in Tibet after Lhasa, falls on the China-Nepal highway, which will make it easier for air passengers to travel to the Himalayan nation by road. This will be the fifth civilian airport in Tibet Autonomous Region. The four other airports are in Lhasa, Qamdo, Nyingchi and Ngari. China is also building another airport; the world’s highest, at an altitude of 4,436 meters in Nagqu Prefecture. Construction of the Peace Airport began in April last year and will be completed by October. It is built to handle 2.3 lakh passengers and 1,150 tones of cargo and take care of 2,580 takeoffs and landings a year till 2020, the official media quoted Xu Bo, director of the Civil Aviation Administration’s Tibet branch, as saying. Climbers will be looking at no less than four Tibetan peaks higher than 8,000 metres besides Mount Qomolangma (8,843.13m): Lozi (8,516m), Markalu (8,463m), Qowowuyag (8,201 m) and Xixabangma (8,012m).

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The above article was extracted from Skyline updates of Skyline College. Skyline College is amongst the top MBA and BBA institutes in Delhi, Gurgaon (NCR).