Data debugging and test flights will be conducted in June. Their maiden flights are expected in August.

 

Dawa Phuntsog, Chairman of Lhasa Potala Tourism and Culture Group Co., Ltd, the parent company of Lhasa Snow Eagle General Aviation,. said that sightseeing air tours are just the first step for Tibetan high-end tourism. More efforts will be made to enrich Tibe’s tourism patterns. 

 

The first batch of helicopters includes four H125 light and single-engined helicopters from Eurocopter and two Bell 505 helicopters.

 

The aircrew for these helicopters are all Tibetans including 7 women pilots, whose average age is only 20 years old. They have received an eight-month training.

 

The airplanes will take off at Tsechokling Airport on the southern bank of the Lhasa River. Its parking apron with an area of 60 mu (4.002 hectares) can hold nearly 30 helicopters. In addition, related supporting facilities will be completed and put into service by the end of this July.

 

The approved radius is within 50 km, and the helicopters can fly mainly in designated airspace in Lhasa and above Namtso Lake, said Dawa Phuntsog.

 

“In the future, we will expand our business to the whole region and participate in more services like emergency rescue,” he added.

By: Ma Yangyang Liu Qiang