Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport

塔什库尔干红其拉甫机场

Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Hóngqílāfǔ Jīchǎng
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
ServesTashkurgan
LocationTashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China
Opened23 December 2022; 14 months ago (2022-12-23)
Elevation AMSL3,200 m / 10,499 ft
Coordinates37°39′46″N 75°17′32″E / 37.66271°N 75.29227°E / 37.66271; 75.29227
Map
HQL is located in Xinjiang
HQL
HQL
Location of airport in Xinjiang
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
3,800 12,467

Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport[a] is an airport in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. It opened on 23 December 2022.[1] At an elevation of 3,200 m, it is Xinjiang's first high plateau airport.[2][3]

Construction started on 26 April 2020 with an expected investment of CN¥1.63 billion or US$251 million.[2] The airport was designed to handle 400 tons and 160,000 passengers annually.[4][5] Test flights were started at the airport in May 2022.[6]

The airport is seen to be part of a larger effort to develop the region commercially and to support the land route, a part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the larger Belt and Road Initiative.[7][8][5] It is also seen as a larger part of China's border infrastructure improvement and its 14th Five Year Plan.[9][10]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
China Southern Airlines Kashgar,[11] Ürümqi[12]

Notes

  1. ^ Chinese: 塔什库尔干红其拉甫机场; pinyin: Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Hóngqílāfǔ Jīchǎng

References

  1. ^ Hua, Xia (23 December 2022). "Xinjiang opens first high plateau airport". Xinhua. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Jing, Zhao, ed. (27 April 2020). "Xinjiang's first high plateau airport-Tashkurgan Airport starts construction". Seetao. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  3. ^ 张涵 (4 June 2020). "In pics: construction site of Taxkorgan Airport in Xinjiang". www.xinhuanet.com. Xinhua. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Tashkurgan Airport, New Airport Profile". centreforaviation.com. Informa. CAPA Centre For Aviation. Retrieved 23 July 2021.((cite web)): CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ a b Chonkar, Kunal (12 May 2020). "China, Pakistan discuss mutually strategic Tashkurgan airport". News21.com. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  6. ^ Bikhchandani, Raghav (20 May 2022). "China commences test flights at 1st 'super-high plateau airport' in Xinjiang region". ThePrint. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  7. ^ Phillips, Tom (12 May 2017). "World's biggest building project aims to make China great again". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  8. ^ Krishnan, Ananth (20 April 2015). "China's airport plan on Pamir plateau near PoK worries India". India Today. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  9. ^ Balakrishnan, Paran (19 June 2021). "Massive Chinese ramp-up of aviation facilities in border regions. Should India be worried?". Telegraph India. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  10. ^ "China to make occupied Tibet a military hub to dominate the Himalayas". Tibetan Review. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  11. ^ "乌鲁木齐出发新航线！6小时行程缩短到1小时！". Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  12. ^ "China Will Open Its Westernmost Airport on Friday". 21 December 2022.
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