Shigatse Peace Airport

Shigatse Peace Airport - Facts, Flights, Transfer and Tips

About Shigatse Peacer International Airport

Construction History

The construction of Shigatse Peace Airport was started in 1968 and the trial flight was operated in 1973 after completion of the final auxiliary projects. But the airport hadn’t opened to the public for a longtime. The then President Jiang Zemin once took a private plane from Shigatse Peace Airport back to Beijing in 1990.

To promote the airlines transport in Tibet, China had a reconstruction and expansion of the Shigatse Airport. In 2010, it went through the finally test flight successfully. The Shigatse Peace Airport, with an A319 passenger plane landing slowly at the altitude of 3,782m above sea level, was officially opened to navigation on October 19, 2010.

Airport Facilities

The airport terminal area is 4,502 square meters and the length of airstrip is 5,000 meters (16,404ft). There are totally three parking aprons, where Airbus A319 and Boeing 737 and other airliners can take off and land.

Situated at an elevation of 3,782m above sea level, planes of Shigatse Airport need to fly under very tough geographical conditions: thin air and fickle weather. Besides, the shortage of navigation facilities on the ground has great influence on traditional flight routine.

Location and Transportation

The airport is about 43km to the downtown Shigatse City.You can take a taxi or airport shuttle from Shigatse to the airport. The regular bus will be stopped in Shandong Building at 9:00 am. The taxi is around 1h driving to the center area which nearly costs 100CNY.

Tibet Travel Permit and Flight Travel

A Tibet Travel Permit (Tibet Entry Permit) is the MUST-DOCUMENT to take a flight to Tibet. It is firstly needed to book flight at the airport. When you check in and check out the airports, the original Tibet Travel Permit also will be checked. Please remember to duplicate at least 3 copies of Tibet Travel Permit because the permits are required for many occasions. The permit can only be issued in Tibet by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, and also can be only applied by travel agency behalf of travelers. It needs about 15~20 days to obtain the permit.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit

1. Contact us to work out and confirm an itinerary in Tibet;

2. Send us the scanned copies of your passport, and provide an available address in China(hotel or local agency) to receive your permit;

3. We apply for the Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa;

4. Once the permit is issued, we will send the original permit to you by post.

> Learn more detail about Tibet Travel Permit Application

Useful Notes on Tibet Flight Travel

1. How to book flight ticket?

The flight ticket can be booked at online websites, such as Booking.com, Expedia, Ctrip, Qunar, etc. You can also buy the ticket from the airports in China or flight resellers. You are also welcomed to let us book your flight. We are always keeping up with the latest flight news and usually can book the ticket at a cheaper price. During summer and autumn, it is usuall difficult to book the flights to Lhasa. While using our booking service, we will not only book the ticket, but also arrange a valuable tour package.

2. Apart from Chengdu, where can I flee?

Apart from Chengdu, you can fly to Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Kunming, Shanghai, Shangri-la etc.

3. International flights from Tibet

So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Lhasa - Kathmandu. During summer days, there are daily direct flights operated, sometimes two flights and sometimes just one flight. Only Air China and Sichuan Airlines are operating the Lhasa - Kathmandu flights. To take a flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu.

4. What else airport, apart Shigatse Peacer International Airport?

Tibet has five airports in total. Besides Shigatse Peacer Airport, you can also take a flight to Shigatse, Nyingchi, Ngari and Qamdo. But only certain cities in China operate flights to these smaller cities.

- Shigatse - there is daily flight flying between Chengdu and Shigatse each day. The airport name is Shigatse Peace Airport, which is about 46km from Shigatse city.

- Nyingchi - Chengdu usually offers 4 morning flights to Nyingchi Milin Airport. While its neighboring city Chongqing also has 3 morning flights to Nyingchi each day. If you travel from Nyingchi to Lhasa, you are recommended to take a flight to Nyingchi firstly from Chengdu or Chongqing. It is also available to fly out Tibet directly from Nyingchi.

- Qamdo - Both Chongqing and Chengdu operate a daily flight to Qamdo in Tibet. But there are few travelers have chosen this line because Qamdo is not a popular tourist destination in Tibet.

- Ngari - Urumqi (capital of Xinjiang) offers a daily direct flight to Ngari with a stop at Kashgar on every Tuesday and Friday. Taking this flight, passengers need Military Permit and Border Pass as well as Tibet Travel Permit.

5. The regulation on the luggage allowance on the plane

6. Will my kids get a discounted flight ticket?

Kids aging 2 to 12 years old (including 12) will get a discount of 50% of the full price of the flight fare. If an adult take a flight to Lhasa from Chengdu with a child aging at 10 and the full price for the economy class is 1850 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 940 CNY. The child also doesn’t have to pay for Airport Construction Fee while the adult has to. Infant under 2 years old only has to pay 10% of the full price, but the separate seat is not provided.

7. How do I collect (receive) the flight ticket?

Since most flight tickets are booked online, so firstly you will receive an e-ticket. You will change a paper ticket when you checking in your flight at a counter in the airport.