2011-02-22 10:24

LHASA - China' s Tibet Airlines Company, the first airline based in southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region, will inaugurate its first flight in July, said the company on Monday.

As the company' s first aircraft will be delivered in Hamburg, Germany on July 7, the company will then offer its first flight from Lhasa to Beijing on July 20, said Liu Yanping, general manager of Tibet Airlines.

The second and third aircraft will be delivered by Aug 3 and 9. Tibet Airlines plans to increase its number of aircrafts to 20 within five years, Liu added.

After beginning direct flights between Lhasa and Beijing , Tibet Airlines will link all airports in Tibet with Konggar Airport in Lhasa, Tibet's capital.

Tibet Airlines was launched in May 2010,with its headquarters at Konggar Airport. It will provide domestic cargo and passenger services.

The airline was approved by China's General Administration of Civil Aviation in response to a surge in tourism in Tibet.