New plateau airport in SW China completes construction

CHENGDU - Terminal construction of a new plateau airport in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Southwest China's Sichuan province, was completed Wednesday, marking the completion of the Gesar Airport.

The airport, expected to be officially put into operation in September, is the third plateau airport in the prefecture, according to China MCC5 Group, the constructor.

The terminal is built with characteristics of the local Gesar culture, with four check-in counters and four boarding gates. It is equipped with oxygen-producing facilities, which can deliver oxygen through more than 200 sprinklers throughout the terminal and adjust the oxygen level indoors.

Air routes connecting the airport with Chongqing and Chengdu in southwestern China are expected to be launched in September, which are predicted to slash the travel time by about 10 hours compared with road trips.

Construction of the airport, at an elevation of 4,068 meters, began in June 2017.