TIBET AIRLINES TAKES OFF

Tibet Airlines has commenced operations with the flight of its one aircraft, an A319, from Lhasa to Ngari. The airline plans to offer four services a day connecting Lhasa, Ngari and Chengdu, in Sichuan province. TAC is based at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport, which at an elevation of 3,600 meters is one of the world’s highest civilian airports. Tibet Airlines is seeking permission for non-stop Lhasa-Beijing flights, which it wants to launch by the end of the year. Liu Yanping, general manager of Tibet Airlines, said the carrier also wants to have direct routes to Europe within four or five