Qamdo Bamda Airport

Qamdo Bamda Airport
昌都邦达机场
Chāngdū Bāngdá Jīchǎng
IATA: BPX – ICAO: ZUBD
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Qamdo, Tibet, China
Location Bamda
Elevation AMSL 4,400 m / 14,436 ft
Coordinates 30°33′13″N 97°06′31″E / 30.55361°N 97.10861°E / 30.55361; 97.10861Coordinates: 30°33′13″N 97°06′31″E / 30.55361°N 97.10861°E / 30.55361; 97.10861
Map
BPX

Location of airport in Tibet

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
14/32 5,500 18,045 Grooved Asphalt
Sources:[1]
Qamdo Bamda Airport
Simplified Chinese 昌都邦达机场

Qamdo Bamda Airport (IATA: BPX, ICAO: ZUBD), also known as Changdu Bangda Airport, is an airport serving Qamdo (Changdu), Tibet, China. It is located in the village of Bamda (Bangda).

Background

At an elevation of 4,334 m (14,219 ft) above sea level, Qamdo Airport was formerly the highest airport in the world. It was surpassed by Daocheng Yading Airport, with an elevation of 4,411 m (14,472 ft), on 16 September 2013.[2] It still has the longest publicly used paved runway in the world, at 5.5 km (3.4 mi), a necessary feature due to the reduction in engine and lift performance that aircraft are subject to at altitude, requiring higher than normal lift-off speeds and therefore longer take-off (and landing) runs.[1][3]

The airport is 2.5 hours by mountain road from the county seat of Qamdo. The long commute is the result of no flat land closer to the city being available to construct an airport.

Visitors are warned before landing to move slowly on leaving the plane and that they may feel light headed or dizzy because of the thin air.

Due to high attitude weather and geologic problems, the airport decided to repair the runway in 2007 and 2013. In October 2015, the construction of a 4000-meter-long second runway started, and it will be in service before 2018.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air China Chengdu
Tibet Airlines Chongqing, Lhasa, Tianjin

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Airport information for Qamdo Bamda Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. ↑ Ben Blanchard (16 September 2013). "China opens world's highest civilian airport". Reuters. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Carter, Ben. "How long is the runway in Fast & Furious 6?". BBC News Magazine. BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
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