Nyingchi Mainling Airport

Nyingchi Mainling Airport
林芝米林机场
Nyingchi Mainling Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
ServesNyingchi
LocationMainling, Tibet Autonomous Region
Elevation AMSL2,949 m / 9,675 ft
Coordinates29°18′12″N 94°20′07″E / 29.30333°N 94.33528°E / 29.30333; 94.33528
Map
LZY is located in Tibet
LZY
LZY
Location of airport in Tibet
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 3,000 9,843 Concrete
Statistics (2025 [1])
Passengers967,829
Aircraft movements9,968
Cargo (metric tons)4,454.8
Source: CAAC[2][3]
Nyingchi Mainling Airport
Simplified Chinese林芝米林机场
Traditional Chinese林芝米林機場
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLínzhī Mǐlín Jīchǎng

Linzhi Milin Airport, also called Nyingchi Mainling Airport, (IATA: LZY, ICAO: ZUNZ) is a dual-use military and civilian airport[4] in Mainling, Nyingchi, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is suggested to be one of the most challenging instrument approaches in the world, since the airport is in a winding valley.[5]

History

In October 2001, the Tibetan government approved the establishment of the "Nyingchi Civil Airport Construction Project Command Center." The site was chosen on the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, nestled between two mountains, at an altitude of 2,951 meters. Construction began in October 2003, with a total investment of 780 million yuan and a designed annual passenger capacity of 120,000. It was fully completed and passed test flights and acceptance tests in August 2006, and officially opened to traffic on September 1, 2006.[6]

2007 was the first year of operation for Nyingchi Airport, with a passenger throughput of 53,000.[7]

In 2011, the airport's passenger throughput reached 144,000, far exceeding its designed saturation capacity.[8][9]

In June 2014, the expansion and renovation project of Linzhi Mainling Airport was approved by the state. The project will be implemented in accordance with the goal of meeting the 2020 passenger throughput of 750,000 passengers and cargo throughput of 3,000 tons. The project includes the construction of a new 10,360-square-meter terminal building, a 3,000-square-meter comprehensive support building, a fire station, a pump station, and the renovation of the old terminal building, with a total investment of about 270 million yuan.[10][11]

The airport expansion and renovation project commenced construction in March 2015. The terminal building has a floor area of ​​approximately 10,358 square meters and includes 11 check-in counters, 4 security checkpoints, and 4 jet bridges. The new terminal features a two-story layout. The first floor primarily handles passenger check-in, departure security checks, remote gate waiting areas, and baggage claim. The second floor mainly serves as the waiting area for general passengers and the first-class area.[12]

On March 6, 2017, the new terminal building of the airport was put into use, and the old terminal building was temporarily closed; on May 15, 2018, the old terminal building was converted into a VIP waiting room and put into use.[13][14]

On May 17, 2019, the Linzhi Manlin Airport parallel taxiway project was officially launched. On February 1, 2021, the project passed industry acceptance. The total investment of the project was 532 million RMB. The main construction contents included the construction of a new parallel taxiway with the same length as the existing runway, a width of 23 meters, and perpendicular to the north side of the existing runway by 182.5 meters; the construction of three new perpendicular connecting taxiways to the runway and the parallel taxiway; and the construction of a new apron with six Category C aircraft parking positions on the west side of the existing apron.[15]

Operation

Nyingchi Airport is the third airport that Tibet has put into operation. Built at a cost of 780 million yuan (96.18 million U.S. dollars), including investment by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), the airport is 2,949 meters above sea level, lower than the other two civil airports, with a designed annual passenger flow of 120,000.[16]

Known as one of the world's most difficult airports for aircraft to reach, Nyingchi Airport is situated in the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Southeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, surrounded by over-4,000-metre-high (13,000 ft) mountains enveloped by clouds and fog throughout the year. Aircraft have to fly through the narrow and winding river valley to approach the airport. The narrowest flight path is less than 4 km from one mountain ridge along the valley to the opposite one. According to meteorological data, there are just 100 days overall with suitable weather to operate to the airport each year.[17]

The first landing of a commercial aircraft was made by an Air China Boeing 757 without passengers on July 12, 2006. Six weeks later, the airport welcomed its first commercial flight carrying passengers. The airport uses a required navigation performance (RNP) approach procedure to provide instrument approach guidance through surrounding valleys to the vicinity of the runway threshold.[18]

Tibet Airlines A319 at LZY Nyingchi Mainling Airport

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu–Tianfu
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou
Chongqing Airlines Chongqing
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu–Shuangliu, Chengdu–Tianfu, Chongqing, Xi'an
Tibet Airlines Chengdu–Shuangliu, Chongqing, Hefei,[19] Mianyang,[20] Xi'an
West Air Chongqing[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ 中国民航局 (2026-02-26). "2025年全国民用运输机场生产统计公报". 中国民航局. Retrieved 2026-03-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Airport information for ZUNZ at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. ^ 西藏打造林芝“森林机场”. carnoc.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  4. ^ "How is China Expanding its Infrastructure to Project Power Along its Western Borders?". 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025.
  5. ^ 中国交通运输发展（1978～2018）. 改革开放研究丛书 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2018. p. 2016-IA4. ISBN 978-7-5201-2864-3. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  6. ^ "国航B757客机成功首航成都——林芝高原航线（国航西南分公司宣传部）". Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
  7. ^ "林芝机场通航一周年　"机场效应"初步显现". Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
  8. ^ "西藏林芝机场开工扩建". 新华网. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  9. ^ "行业动态-中国建筑业协会". www.zgjzy.org.cn. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  10. ^ "西藏实施三大机场改扩建工程 缓解进出藏压力". Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  11. ^ "林芝机场航站楼改扩建工程15日开工". www.xzxw.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  12. ^ "林芝机场新航站楼正式投入运行". www.caac.gov.cn. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  13. ^ "西藏林芝米林机场". 2022-05-14.
  14. ^ "林芝米林机场航站楼介绍". linzhi-airport.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  15. ^ "林芝米林机场平行滑行道工程正式投运_林芝市人民政府网". www.linzhi.gov.cn. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  16. ^ 系统科学视野下的世界级旅游目的地可持续发展研究：以西藏为例 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Academic Press. 2014. p. 238. ISBN 978-7-5097-6667-5. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  17. ^ "一带一路"战略与西南边疆的开放、稳定与发展：中国社会科学论坛（2015）暨第六届西南论坛论文集 (in Chinese). She hui ke xue wen xian chu ban she. 2017. p. 95. ISBN 978-7-5097-4128-3. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  18. ^ 对外关系、和谐边疆与中国战略定位. 中国社会科学院文库. 国际问题研究系列 (in Chinese). She hui ke xue wen xian chu ban she. 2016. p. 245. ISBN 978-7-5201-0000-7. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  19. ^ "合肥新桥国际机场2024年冬航季航班时刻表". Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  20. ^ "‌绵阳机场新开昌都、珠海、兰州航线加密天津航线". Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  21. ^ "西藏区内机场2023年冬春航季航班换季来啦！". Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  • Fellows, James (2012). China Airborne. New York: Pantheon Books. pp. 175–180. ISBN 978-0-375-42211-9.
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