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Founded | 19 January 1976 | ||||||
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Hubs | Wattay International Airport Luang Prabang International Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Champa Muang Lao | ||||||
Fleet size | 11 | ||||||
Destinations | 23[1] | ||||||
Headquarters | Vientiane, Laos | ||||||
Key people | Mr Khamla Phommavanh | ||||||
Employees | 1,000 | ||||||
Website | laoairlines.com |
Lao Airlines State Enterprise[2] is the national airline of Laos, headquartered in Vientiane. It operates domestic and international services to countries such as Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Its main operating base is Wattay International Airport in Vientiane.[3] It is subordinate to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.[2]
In September 1976, the company was formed from the merger of existing airlines Royal Air Lao and Lao Air Lines.[4] The company became Lao Aviation in 1979.[citation needed]
In 2000, a joint venture with China Yunnan Airlines and the Lao government was formed which re-nationalized Lao Aviation.[citation needed]
The A320s are the first jet aircraft to be purchased by Lao Airlines and feature a two-class layout seating 126 passengers in the main cabin and 16 in Business Class, and they are powered by CFM International CFM56 engines.[5]
Lao Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[6]
As of July 2021[update], Lao Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[7][8]
Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J | Y | Total | ||||
Airbus A320-200 | 4 | — | 16 | 126 | 142 | |
8 | 150 | 158 | ||||
ATR 72-500 | 4 | — | — | 70 | 70 | |
ATR 72-600 | 3 | — | — | 70 | 70 | |
Total | 11 | 0 |
Aircraft | Fleet | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing 737-200 | 1 | 1996 | 1998 | |
Airbus A320-200 | 1 | 2003 | 2005 | bearing Vietnamese registration number |
ATR 72-200 | 1 | 1996 | 2011 | |
ATR 72-200 | 1 | 2000 | 2010 | |
ATR 42-300 | 1 | 1994 | 1996 |
Lao Airlines aircraft feature a plumeria insignia on their vertical stabilizers. The Plumeria is an official national flower of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The words "Lao Airlines" are colored in blue.[citation needed]