The Tibet Autonomous Region can now boast its own airline. The country's flag carrier, Air China, lauched  a Tibetan subsidiary on Sunday, based on Lhasa, Tibet's capital.

Tibetan airlines will fly 13 routes, with a capacity to transport almost 700,000 passengers each year. The newly established airlines have a fleet of seven carriers, including two Boeing 757-200s and five Airbus A319s.

Air China invested about 6 million US dollars into a cooperation deal with Boeing to install RNP navigation systems into the Tibetan airlines' planes.

The system makes flying at night possible, which also strengthens safety. The setup of Tibetan airlines will help promote trade between the region and its neighboring provinces.

(CCTV.com August 10, 2004)