The expansion of Gonggar Airport, one of the two airports in Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China, has been completed and is expected to go into trial operation by the end of this month.

The expansion project of the Gonggar Airport, based in the regional capital Lhasa, started in May of 2001 and was completed at a cost of 320 million yuan (US$38.69 million), said a source with the regional bureau of civil aviation.

The expansion project consisted of improvement of the original parking area, the terminal building, power supply facilities and water supply and discharge system.

The expansion project will enable Gonggar Airport to handle an annual passenger flow of 1.1 million by 2010.

Statistics show that the Gonggar Airport handled more than 590, 000 passengers in the first 10 months this year.

Bamba Airport, another airport in Tibet, is based in Qamdo in the eastern part of Tibet.

(China Daily December 5, 2003)