ROUTES - Lao Airlines to resume direct Vientiane – Da Nang service

The carrier said it will operate two flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays, using the Comac C909 aircraft configured with 90 economy-class seat.

A Comac C909 aircraft of Laos Airlines (Source: Laos Airlines)

Vientiane (VNA) – Lao Airlines, the national flag carrier of Laos, has announced it will resume direct flights linking the Lao capital of Vientiane with Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang from March 29.

The carrier said it will operate two flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays, using the Comac C909 aircraft configured with 90 economy-class seats. The flight time is estimated at about one hour and 20 minutes.

Under the schedule, Flight QV317 will depart from Vientiane at 11:20 and arrive in Da Nang at 12:40 the same day. The return flight, QV318, will leave Da Nang at 13:50 and land in Vientiane at 15:10 the same day.

Tickets will be available at Lao Airlines ticket offices in Laos, through authorised agents, as well as on the carrier’s website and mobile application. The proposed round-trip fare listed on the website is 290 USD for bookings made in April.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lao Airlines operated the Vientiane – Da Nang route using ATR-72 aircraft with 70 seats, transiting in Pakse city in southern Laos. In 2023, it attempted to relaunch a direct Vientiane – Da Nang service using Airbus A320 aircraft, but later suspended operations as market demand had yet to fully recover after the pandemic.

According to Lao Airlines, the route resumption this time is expected to be more favourable as the airline has introduced the C909 aircraft with 90 seats, which is considered better suited to market demand compared to the previously operated ATR-72 (70 seats) and A320 (148 seats).

The announcement comes amid rising international arrivals to Da Nang, which is projected to welcome around 19 million visitors in 2026. Currently, many travellers from the Republic of Korea and China view Da Nang as a hub while demand for short-haul flights to popular Lao destinations such as Luang Prabang and Vientiane has increased markedly. Lao Airlines expects these international tourists to help fill seats on its C909 aircraft./.

Vietnam

 

FLEET - First C909 aircraft delivered to Lao Airlines

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) delivered the first C909 aircraft to Lao Airlines on March 30th, 2025. This is the first time for a China-made passenger jet to enter the Laomarket, marking a new step in the international development of China's commercial aircraft.


This C909 aircraft has a registration number of RDPL-34229, and has a 90-seat all-economy class layout. The interior and exterior identifications and placards are in Laotian, the exterior painting is custom-designed, and the tail is printed with Champa flower, the national flower of Laos. It is delivered to Lao Airlines on a lease basis, and will enter into route operation after a series of preparatory work is completed in Laos.

C909 aircraft is a turbofan regional jet independently developed by China. It has a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers, and is capable of operating on most domestic routes in Laos and surrounding international routes. In addition, C909 aircraft has good high-temperature performance and can take off and land on short and narrow runways, showing strong adaptability to the operating environment in Southeast Asia. Up to now, a total of 162 C909 aircraft have been delivered, which have accumulatively served in 645 routes in 158 cities, and safely carried more than 20 million passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Laos issued an Aircraft Type Acceptance Certificate (ATC) for the C909 aircraft to COMAC on March 18th, 2025, indicating that the aircraft has met the basic conditions for commercial operation in Laos. COMAC has set up a special team to assist Lao Airlines with preparatory tasks, including manual preparation, personnel training, aviation material support, and maintenance capacity building. COMAC has also dispatched a support team of professionals from the flight, cabin crew, operation control, maintenance, and other areas to fully ensure the safe and efficient operation of the C909 aircraft in Laos.

Lao Airlines, as a flag carrier, plays an important role in the civil aviation transport industry of Laos and is an important force in promoting connectivity between Laos and surrounding regions. At present, Lao Airlines is expanding its capacity and renewing its fleet. Leasing the C909 aircraft will help the airline supplement its capacity and upgrade its fleet to meet the growing development needs of the air travel market in Laos.

COMAC

FLEET - Lao Airlines to put COMAC C909 jet into service

The C909 regional jet (formerly ARJ21) will be operated by Lao Airlines.

Lao told Reuters it was due to receive its first aircraft in March.

Lao Airlines currently operates a fleet of four Airbus A320s and seven ATR 72 turboprops. In addition to domestic flights, LAO also operates flights to countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and South Korea.

 Photo: COMAC

LAO AIRLINES - ATR 72-600 - RDPL34228

Teresa Bairrão / Rogério Bairrão
Vientiane (Wattay) - VTE

Lao Central hopes to resume operations in mid-2015

Lao Central Airlines has told the Sayacinta Airpost that it plans to eventually resume operations in mid-2015 using a fleet of four SSJ 100-95 aircraft following a restructuring exercise.

Prior to its suspending operations earlier in 2014, the carrier had operated two B737-400s and a single SSJ 100-95. According to the report, Lao Central plans to operate under new ownership having previously been controlled by Phongsavanh Bank. It has three additional SuperJets on order and has reportedly been able to find agreement with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (Moscow Zhukovsky) on the financial terms for the delayed deliveries.

ch-aviation

Dozens feared dead following Lao Airlines crash

As many as 40 people are feared dead following a plane crash in the south-east Asian destination of Laos.

 A Lao Airlines operated aircraft crashed into the Mekong River in southern Laos earlier near the town of Pakse, in Champasak province.

Thai television showed images of the ATR 72 turboprop plane partly submerged in shallow water.

Another channel showed what appeared to be several bodies on the bank of the river.

 “We do not yet know the number of casualties, our executives are currently in a meeting and will provide more details in the morning,” an airline official told Reuters.

Lao Airlines is the national carrier of the communist state and has operated since 1976.

Its aircraft carried 658,000 passengers last year and it has a fleet of just 14 planes, mostly propeller-driven.
Airline News
Photo:Alain Charpentier - TLS

Sukhoi Superjet 100 Entered into Service by Lao Central

CJSC "Sukhoi Civil Aircraft" press-release

On March 24, 2013 Sukhoi Superjet 100 of Lao Central, the airline based in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic successfully performed its first domestic commercial flight from the capital of the country Vientiane to the second largest historical and cultural city of Laos – Luangphabang.

60 passengers were checked in to the flight while the distance between the cities was covered for about 30 minutes.

Lao Central will operate Sukhoi Superjet 100 both in domestic and international routes from Laos to Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Ming, Singapore and other destinations in Southeast Asia.

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company and Lao Central signed a contract for delivery of three SSJ100 in March 2011 with an option for six aircraft of this type in a 93 seats two-class configuration.

Lao Airlines emerges as likely ATR 72-600 customer

Lao Airlines will reportedly shortly finalize an order for two ATR 72-600s that would be delivered in November 2012 and June 2013 according to local press reports in Laos. Lao Airlines currently operates two A320-200s, four ATR 72-500s and four MA-60 on regional services.

Lao Airlines becomes new Airbus operator

Lao Airlines, the national carrier of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos), has taken delivery of the first of two A320 aircraft ordered from Airbus. The new aircraft was welcomed in the Lao capital Vientiane at a special ceremony today attended by Somsavat Lengsavad, Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thierry Mariani, French Minister of Transport.

The second A320 ordered by Lao Airlines is scheduled to arrive in Vientiane next month, with the aircraft entering service on routes to key destinations in South East Asia, including Bangkok and Singapore. The A320s are the first jet aircraft to be purchased by Lao Airlines and feature a high comfort two class layout seating 126 passengers in the main cabin and 16 in Business Class. The aircraft are powered by CFM56 engines from CFM International.

"The A320 will see Lao Airlines introduce a new level of premium service as we expand our international route network," said Somphone Douangdara, President of Lao Airlines. "In addition to the highest standards of in-flight comfort, Lao Airlines will also benefit from the extremely low operating costs offered by these modern, fuel-efficient aircraft."

"We are pleased to welcome Lao Airlines as a new Airbus operator," said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus. "With the A320 in its fleet, Lao Airlines joins over 260 airlines worldwide operating the industry’s best-selling single aisle product line, offering proven passenger appeal, outstanding reliability and unbeatable operating costs."

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark in its class. With more than 7,900 aircraft sold and over 4,800 delivered, it is the world’s most successful single-aisle aircraft product line.

AIRBUS