No, they don’t do it so as not to disturb the monasteries and monks. Air traffic has not been banned either.
His plateau Tibet it covers a huge area and is the second largest region in China. But, taking a look at Flightradar24the website that finds flights flying live from all over the world, you can tell that none airplane it does not fly over that particular area.
Airplanes fly routes to the north and south of this vast area, but not right through it. This is because it is one of the higher regions of the Earth, with an average altitude of about 4,500 meters. In fact, it includes many large mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, home to the world’s highest mountain, the Everest.
Now, you’re probably thinking that airplanes fly well above 4,500 meters, so why not go over there? And this is true, since the height they fly is usually triple. So why does the altitude of the Tibetan Plateau affect flights? It all depends on oxygen levels.
If a plane had a problem at that altitude, the oxygen masks would open and the pilot would quickly descend to an altitude with more oxygen—ideally below 10,000 feet. Given the average altitude of the Tibetan Plateau, descending so low would not be easy as it could cause trouble for the plane. Thus, for safety reasons, many airlines choose to avoid flying in this area.
A second reason is that mountains create turbulence. You may have experienced some turbulence in the air while flying over a mountain peak. Now imagine this continuing as you fly over the entire Tibetan Plateau.
However, it is worth noting that there are five major airports in Tibet, so not all airlines avoid the area. However, if Tibet is not your final destination, your flight will likely bypass the Tibetan Plateau.
