Direct flight from Beijing to Lhasa is put into operation

A new direct flight from Beijing to Lhasa and Lhasa to Beijing went into operation on last Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. This non-stop flight between Beijing and Lhasa is expected to boost tourism in Tibet. Previously, the flight from Beijing to Lhasa had to stop for refueling in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
The direct flight to Lhasa from Beijing shortens the distance between Beijing and Tibet, shaving two hours off the travel time from Beijing to Lhasa by air.
The direct flight leaves Beijing at 8:05 am and arrives at Lhasa at 12:25 pm, with returning flights leaving the region at 1:15 pm and landing in the capital at 5:05 pm. An economy class ticket costs 2,430 yuan, the same as the flights that stop in Chengdu.
The aircraft with about 130 seats has been modified to cope with flying from Lhasa airport, which sits 3,700 meters above the sea level.
Tourists also can take a train from Beijing to Lhasa, which is also a wonderful journey.