LHASA - Tibet will kick off construction on the world's highest-altitude airport next year, according to a government work report at the ongoing regional economic work conference.

The airport, planned at an altitude of 4,436 meters in Nagqu prefecture, will be 102 meters higher than Bamda Airport in Tibet's Qamdo prefecture, currently the world's highest, the report said.

The airport is designed to cover an area of up to 267 hectares.

The Tibetan Branch of the China Civil Aviation Administration has said the airport is expected to cost 1.8 billion yuan ($285 million) with a three-year construction period.

Regional aviation authorities will add more flights next year to connect major cities in Tibet and also link the plateau region with other major cities nationwide, according to the document.

The increase in flight services is expected to help Tibet's airports handle 2.2 million passengers and 15,000 tons of cargo in 2012, it added.