The fourth civil airport in Tibet is expected to begin operation in 2010, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The airport was being built at an altitude of 4,227 meters at Gunsa Township of Gar County, Ngari Prefecture in the far west of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said a spokesman with the Tibet Autonomous Regional Civil Aviation Administration.

The runway -- 4,500 meters long and 45 meters wide -- would be designed to meet the demands of A319, B737-300 and other aircraft with good plateau performance, the spokesman said.

"It is also designed to handle 120,000 passengers a year by 2020, with a terminal building of 3,500 square meters," he said.

Technicians and workers had battled against bad weather to lay the foundations and building materials had been carried over long distances, he said.

They had turned to the construction of terminal building, runway and other projects, he said.

"Gunsa airport will further improve the air transport network in Tibet," he said.

"It will also play an active role in boosting the economic development in the Ngari Prefecture and the Tibet Autonomous Region at large," he added.

The spokesman said the airport was a key project listed by the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Civil Aviation Administration of China for the 2006-2010 period.

But he would not disclose further details, such as the cost.

The airport will be the fourth civil airport in Tibet, after Lhasa, Qamdo and Nyingchi.

Ngari Prefecture covers more than 300,000 square kilometers and has a population of just 80,000, making it one of the least populated regions in the world. The prefecture has an average altitude of above 4,500 meters and is known for its harsh weather and terrain.

The central government plans to invest nearly 80 billion yuan (US$11.4 billion) in Tibet during the 2006-2010 period to help build 180 key projects.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2008)