URUMQI — Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will soon open its first plateau airport after an airplane landed successfully at the airport on the afternoon of Jan 28.
Standing at over 1,700 meters above sea level, the Zhaosu Tianma Airport is located in Zhaosu county, Kazak autonomous prefecture of Ili. With an investment of 640 million yuan (about $100.7 million), the construction of the 170-hectare airport began in September 2019, and it completed all the runway projects on June 23, 2021.
The passenger throughput of the domestic civil regional airport is designed to reach 200,000, while cargo and mail throughput to reach 600 metric tons by 2025, according to the airport. Its aerodrome traffic zone (ATZ) is rated 4C (able to cope with twin-engine medium-range narrow-body airliners including Airbus A320 and Boeing 737).
The airport will become the first civil transport facility in Xinjiang during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period and also the 23rd civil airport in the region.
Neighboring Kazakhstan, Zhaosu is known as the hometown of one of the country's best horse breeds. The county has been promoting equine tourism in recent years. An international horse tourism festival is held in Zhaosu each summer, where Chinese and foreign visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of galloping horses and equestrian performances.
"The opening of Zhaosu Tianma Airport will greatly improve the transportation conditions of more than 400,000 residents in Zhaosu county and the surrounding counties. It is expected to promote the development of the local tourism industry and improve the investment environment," said Dalelybek Kanjakhan, a prefecture official.
