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″N80°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 calledNgari Günsa Airport, (IATA:NGQ,ICAO:ZUAL), also known asShiquanhe Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the town ofShiquanhe inNgari Prefecture, betweenGar Chongsar andSogmai,Günsa Township,Ngari Prefecture,Tibet Autonomous Region. It started operations on 1 July 2010, becoming the fourthcivil airport in Tibet afterLhasa,Nyingchi, andQamdo airports.^[2]

Situated at 4,274 m (14,022 ft) above sea level, Gunsa Airport is thefourth highest airport in the world afterDaocheng Yading Airport,Qamdo Bamda Airport, andKangding 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]

AsShiquanhe (Ali) is only a one-day bus drive (about 330 km) from the settlement ofDarchen situated just north ofLake Manasarovar, facingMount Kailash,^[5] it is expected to benefit pilgrims to these two sites, which are considered sacred byHindus,^[6]Buddhists,Bonpa andJains.^[7][8] With the opening ofShigatse Peace Airport in October 2010, the five airports, coupled with theQinghai–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 atDoklam in 2017 military presence at the Ngari Gunsa Airport has been expanded withShenyang J-16s andJ-11s fighter jets stationed. The airport is 200 kilometres fromPangong 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.

• Airports in the Tibet Autonomous Region
• Airports established in 2010
• 2010 establishments in China
• Ngari Prefecture

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