The new apron of Gongkar Airport in Lhasa, capital of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region started operating on Sunday, when it welcomed its first flight from Tibet Airlines, Tibet Daily reported.

According to the Tibet Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the airport has 27 boarding gates in total after the construction of the four boarding gates for the new airport apron finished on Oct 20.

Equipped with high-tech facilities and devices, the newly launched apron will help the flight safety, operation efficiency, and management effectiveness of the airport.