World’s Highest Airport Opens

  • Daocheng Yading Airport is the world's highest airport.

    Daocheng Yading Airport is the world's highest airport.

  • The chrome saucer-like terminal.

    The chrome saucer-like terminal.

  • An Air China plane lands at Daocheng Yading Airport.

    An Air China plane lands at Daocheng Yading Airport.

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Looking to reach new heights with your air travel? The Daocheng Yading Airport rests 4,572 meters above sea level and claims the title of the world’s highest civilian airport in the world, as well as the newest. Located in the mountains of western Sichuan province, Daocheng was previously unserved by commercial flights, limiting local transport options to buses and personal vehicles. The new airport resembles a chrome saucer with a backdrop of unadorned mountain landscape. Though service is still at a minimum—only 65-minute Air China flights connect the airport to Chengdu— it’s quite an advancement for those looking to access the area. Previously a two-day bus ride from Chengdu was the primary mode of transit. The airport cost US$265 million to construct and has a capacity of 280,000 passengers annually. Daocheng Yading Airport is an effort by the Chinese government to increase tourism to the area for sights such as the Yading Nature Reserve, known to some as “the last Shangri-La.”

For more information, visit Air China website.

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