Air China launches first Chengdu-Lhasa night-time flight

BEIJING – Air China launched the first evening flight to touch down at Lhasa Gonggar Airport in Tibet, ending the airport’s 43-year period of serving daytime flights alone.

The flight is scheduled to depart Chengdu at 5:10pm every Wednesday and arrive in Lhasa at 7:00pm. The return flight will depart Lhasa at 7:50pm and arrive in Chengdu at 9:35pm.

“The opening of nighttime flights is certain to maximize Tibet’s flight capacity and functionality, raising the level of the region’s overall transportation development,” Shi Bo, Air China Southwest Division general manager, said.

Due to the complicated nature of the Tibetan plateau’s geography and flight conditions, Lhasa Airport was previously unable to make the necessary provisions for night-time flights. This caused particular problems during the tourist season, when many airlines had no choice but to cancel or postpone flights.

With the expansion of night-time flights, airlines will have more flexibility in establishing flight schedules, avoiding the problem of needing to postpone flights due to delayed take-offs.