Did you know that airplanes never fly over Tibet?

Have you ever noticed that while airplanes have routes to every corner of the world, there are no flights over China’s Tibet region? Do you know why airplanes avoid flying over Tibet? Let’s find out together!

The answer to why airplanes avoid flying over Tibet lies in the analogy often used for Tibet as the “roof of the world.” As you may know, Tibet is a region with an average elevation of around 5,000 meters above sea level, and it is home to Mount Everest.

You might be wondering, “What does this have to do with airplanes?” Let’s dive into that topic as well!

Passenger aircraft cabins are equipped with a pressurized air system to allow people to breathe comfortably. In case of any malfunction in this sensitive system, oxygen masks are immediately made available to meet passengers’ oxygen needs. However, this oxygen support is generally designed for a duration of 15–20 minutes.

In the event of a failure in the cabin pressure system, pilots must descend the aircraft to 3,000 meters, which poses a significant challenge in high-altitude regions like Tibet.

Large parts of Tibet are well above this 3,000-meter altitude. Therefore, the absence of a suitable area for safe landing in emergencies makes flights over this region risky.

Additionally, in twin-engine aircraft, if one of the engines malfunctions, the aircraft must descend to a certain altitude to continue flying safely. Unfortunately, the geographical structure of Tibet does not allow for such landings. That’s why airplanes never fly over Tibet.