The airport is located in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. At an altitude of 4,411 metres above sea level, the airport - officially opened yesterday - has bypassed previous 'highest civilian airport' record holder Qamdo Bamda Airport in Tibet by just under 80 metres.

The airport’s main route will be to the city of Chengdu. The journey between Garzê and Chengdu typically takes two days via bus: a journey time that has been reduced to just over an hour for those lucky enough to be able to afford the flight costs (approximately €200 one-way). Other routes include flights to and from Chongqing and Barkam, with services to other areas such as Shanghai expected to commence by early next year.

The new airport is part of an effort by Chinese authorities to economically develop areas surrounding Tibet, and help encourage tourism to the region. However, critics have argued the airport could possibly be serving another military purpose to allow troops to quickly respond to unrest in the contested region.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Alistair Currie of Free Tibet argues “this is no holiday destination. What China does in Tibet, it does for China, not Tibet. For China, Tibetan culture and landscape is a resource to be exploited: the reality is that true Tibetan culture is severely repressed”.

Although falling under the control of The People’s Republic of China, the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has seen unrest over the status of neighbouring Tibet. Buddhist monks in the prefecture have staged several protests in support of Tibetan autonomy and against reported human rights offenses in the region.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)