Xinhua news:
Construction starts on world's 2nd highest airport (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/07/content_5061509.htm)

I wonder if a 4,000m runway is long enough to handle wide-body jets at that altitude. :?

4,280 metres is really high!!
:eek2::eek2:

I wonder if a 4,000m runway is long enough to handle wide-body jets at that altitude. :?

Of course not.
Anyway, that airport is intended to serve only planes up to the sizes of the smaller Boeings annd Airbuses as there is no need for wide-bodies in the foreseeable future. If one day, the requirement arises, the runway can then be lengthened.

Wow an altitude of 14,042 ft? That's pretty high.

wow, that is indeed high, wouldn't it be more accessible albeit more cost to build a railway through to sichuan, tunnelling mountains and zig zagging across the valleys.