About Shigatse Peace Airport

Construction History

The construction of Shigatse Peace Airport started in 1968 and the trial flight was operated in 1973 after the 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 air transport in Tibet, China had a reconstruction and expansion of Shigatse Airport. In 2010, it succeeded the final test flight. 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 covers an area of 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 (around 1h, CNY 100) or airport shuttle bus (usually at Shandong Building) from Shigatse to the airport.

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Airbus A319 of Tibet Airlines Airbus A319 of Tibet Airlines

Routes and Schedule of Shigatse Peace Airport

Driving from Chengdu to Shigatse takes over 2 days at a distance of more than 2,300km in total. Compared with the long distance ride, the Shigatse Peace Airport offers direct planes to Chengdu within 2.5h. The flying distance between Chengdu and Shigatse is 1,526km.

Shigatse to Chengdu Flight Schedule

There are about 3 direct flights a day from Shigatse Peace Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. They usually leave at noon and arrive in the afternoon after about 2.5h. The flight information below is for reference only.

Flight No. Departure -- Arrival Duration Frequency Plane Full Price
12:05
Shigatse Peace Airport
14:30
Chengdu Shuangliu Airport T2
2h 25m SMTWTFS Airbus A319
1830 ¥
Economy Class

Chengdu to Shigatse Flight Schedule

There are about 4 daily direct flights leaving from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in the morning and arriving in Shigatse Airport 2.5 hrs later. Notice that the Shigatse Peace Airport is 3,782m above sea level; please walk slowly to prevent altitude stress after landing. The flight information below is for reference only.

Flight No. Departure -- Arrival Duration Frequency Plane Full Price
07:05
Chengdu Shuangliu Airport T2
09:25
Shigatse Peace Airport
2h 20m SMTWTFS Airbus A319
1830 ¥
Economy Class

Important Notice: 1) Above flight schedules and fares are only for reference, please contact us to catch up on the latest information. But we usually will keep them updated; 2) The airlines companies usually will cut down the flight schedules during winter and spring seasons. There may be no daily flight in some months.

About Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU - 成都双流国际机场) is the fourth largest and busiest airport in China. The airport is only about 16km southwest to the center of Chengdu City.

Until now (September, 2019), there are 349 flight routes to/off Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, including 121 international (regional) routes and 228 domestic destinations. Chengdu is well connected to most cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Guangzhou. And it has more international (regional) links with London, Moscow, Paris in Europe, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, San-Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver in North America and Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and many Asia destinations.

Shigatse Peace Airport Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Location

Travel in Shigatse

Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, is located in southwest of Qinghai Tibet Plateau, close to the west Ngari, North Nagqu prefectures. Known as a state list famous historical and culture city, Shigatse has over 600 year’s history with many famous attractions, such as Mt. Everest, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Sakya Monastery and Sangzhutse Fortress, etc. There are many Snow Mountains, original forests, holy lakes and unique Tibetan customs you can enjoy in Shigatse.

How to go to Shigatse from Lhasa

Driving: Lhasa is about 260km to Shigatse city. You have two route options to choose. One is drive to Shigatse through the National Highway 318, which barely has sightseeings on the way but is much faster and more conveninet. It takes around 5 hrs. The second route takes much longer time to 8-9h but with many sightworthy spots on the way, like the beautiful Yangdork Lake, Kharola Glacier and famous Palcho Monastery. You will get to Ngarzhag County, then climb over the NailchenKham Snow Mountain and arrive in Manla Reservoir, later to the Gyangze County, finally come to the Shigatse city.

Train: There are four daily scheduled trains run between Lhasa and Shigatse, including 2 Lhasa to Shigatse trains and 2 Shigatse to Lhasa trains. Passengers will only spend less than 3hrs to go Shigatse and back. Four options are offered: Hard Seat, Soft Seat, Hard Sleeper and Soft Sleeper. The Hard Seat is most recommended for short distance travel.

Shigatse Peace Airport Beautiful Yamdrok Lake

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 details about Tibet Travel Permit Application

Shigatse Peace Airport Tibet Travel Permit

Useful Notes on Tibet Flight Travel

1. Necessary documents required to take a flight to/off Tibet

- Chinese visa is always needed no matter you are taking a flight or a train to Tibet. The office man in the airport will check your Chinese visa when your go to board the plane.

- The passport will be needed for many situations: booking flight ticket, checking in flight, checking in hotel, checking in the Border Station in Tibet, etc. Make sure your passport is valid and original.

- Original Tibet Travel Permit will be checked when you board your plane at the airports.

2. 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 usually gets 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.

3. When is the best time to fly to Tibet?

Generally speaking, months from April to October are recommended for traveling in Tibet. Other months are usually very cold, and possibly have heavy snow, especially in regions like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Namtso Lake, etc. The flights schedules are also more frequent during April to October. During December to March, the airline companies will cut down the flight schedules, usually from daily weekly, even to none. But top cities like Chengdu and Xian still operate daily flights during the shoulder season. It is recommended to take the morning flight so that you can get to Lhasa before late afternoon, and have enough time to acclimatize yourself to the altitude and thin air in Lhasa. The morning flights also cut down the risk that your flights would be delayed or canceled.

4. What are the most popular gateway cities to fly to Tibet?

Currently Chengdu, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chongqing, Kunming, Shangri-La are mostly used by travelers as gateway hubs to fly to Tibet.

5. International flights to Lhasa

So far, there is only one international air line connecting Lhasa: Kathmandu – Lhasa. 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 Kathmandu - Lhasa flights. To take a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, one will need a Group Visa, Tibet Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass.

6. What else airport I can fly to except for Shigatse Peace Airport?

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

- Lhasa - there are more than 20 flight flying between Lhasa and Chengdu every day. Also Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Kunming offer over 2 daily flights to Lhasa. The Lhasa Gonggar Airport is the largest and the most important airport in Tibet, linking Lhasa with lots of domestic cities and Kathmandu of Nepal.

- Nyingchi - Chengdu usually offers 4 morning flights to Nyingchi Mainling 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.

7. The regulation on the luggage allowance on the plane

Luggage Type First Class Business Class Economy Class Allowed Baggage Size
Allowed Carry-on Baggage 5kg * 2 pieces 5kg 5kg 55cm/20cm/40cm(L/B/H)
Allowed Checked-in Baggage 40kg 30kg 20kg 100cm/60cm/40cm(L/B/H)

8. 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 1680 CNY, the ticket fare for the child is 840 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.

9. 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 it to a paper ticket when you check in your flight at a counter in the airport.

Recommended Tibet Tour Packages

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