Ngari Gunsa Airport

Ngari Gunsa Airport 阿里昆莎机场
IATA: NGQ ICAO: ZUAL
Summary
Airport type	Military/Public
Serves	Shiquanhe
Location	Gar Chongsar, Günsa Township, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet
Elevation AMSL	4,274 m / 14,022 ft
Coordinates	32°06′31″N 80°03′10″E / 32.10861°N 80.05278°E / 32.10861; 80.05278
Map
NGQ Location of airport in Tibet
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 15/33 4,500 14,764 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Passengers 190,056 Aircraft movements 2,535 Cargo (metric tons) 90.5
Source:[1]

Ali Kunsha Airport, also called Ngari Günsa Airport, (IATA: NGQ, ICAO: ZUAL), also known as Shiquanhe Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the town of Shiquanhe in Ngari Prefecture, between Gar Chongsar and Sogmai, Günsa Township, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. It started operations on 1 July 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet after Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Qamdo airports.^[2]

Situated at 4,274 m (14,022 ft) above sea level, Gunsa Airport is the fourth highest airport in the world after Daocheng Yading Airport, Qamdo Bamda Airport, and Kangding Airport.^[3][4] Gunsa airport has a 4,500-meter runway. It is expected to handle 120,000 passengers by 2020. Construction began in May 2007 and cost an estimated 1.65 billion yuan (241.22 million U.S. dollars).^[2]

As Shiquanhe (Ali) is only a one-day bus drive (about 330 km) from the settlement of Darchen situated just north of Lake Manasarovar, facing Mount Kailash,^[5] it is expected to benefit pilgrims to these two sites, which are considered sacred by Hindus,^[6] Buddhists, Bonpa and Jains.^[7][8] With the opening of Shigatse Peace Airport in October 2010, the five airports, coupled with the Qinghai–Tibet railway and a network of roads, are expected to increase tourism to scenic and holy sites in Tibet.^[6]

Since the last major standoff between China and India at Doklam in 2017 military presence at the Ngari Gunsa Airport has been expanded with Shenyang J-16s and J-11s fighter jets stationed. The airport is 200 kilometres from Pangong Tso, Ladakh.^[9][10]

• List of airports in China
• List of the busiest airports in China
• List of highest airports
• Ngari Burang Airport

• Albinia, Alice. (2008) Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River. First American Edition (2010) W. W. Norton & Company, New York. ISBN 978-0-393-33860-7.
• Dorje, Gyurme. (2009) Tibet Handbook. Footprint Handbooks, Bath, England. ISBN 978-1-906098-32-2.
• Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005) Tibet. 6th Edition. ISBN 1-74059-523-8.