Beijing (CNS) -- Air China opened the first regular direct flight between Beijing and Lhasa on December 15 – the daily flight is scheduled to depart from Beijing at 8:05 a.m. and arrive in Lhasa at 12:25 p.m.; in reverse it departs Lhasa at 13:15 a.m. and arrives in Beijing at 17:05 p.m.
The air journey between Beijing and Lhasa used to stop over in Chengdu, due to the challenges posed by the high altitude on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Air China expects the nonstop flight to save about two hours, an efficiency that will better serve the tourism market.
During peak tourist seasons the A330, a larger plane, will substitute for the current A319 assigned to that route.
A network of air routes is gradually being formed to connect Lhasa with other major Chinese cities, indicate China's national airlines.
