Lao Airlines

Lao Airlines State Enterprise is the national airline of Laos, headquartered in Vientiane. It operates domestic as well as international services to countries such as Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. Its main operating base is Wattay International Airport in Vientiane. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Laos) | Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

History

In September 1976 the Civil Aviation Company was formed from the merger of existing airlines Royal Air Lao and Lao Air Lines. The company became Lao Aviation in 1979. The national carrier initially started with a mixed fleet of Western aircraft, including the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4, operating on international and domestic routes, as well as a fleet of helicopters for more remote regions. Reflecting the nation's closer links with its Eastern neighbors, it began to be re-equipped in the 1980s, with the fleet then primarily composed of aircraft from China and the Soviet Union. For international services to Bangkok, Hanoi and Phnom Penh these included the Antonov An-24. In 1994 and the airline upgraded its fleet with ATR-42 turboprop aircraft and by 1995 had acquired an ATR-72 aircraft, adding Xian Y-7 and Harbin Y-12 aircraft to its fleet.

In 2000, joint venture with China Yunnan Airlines and the Lao government was formed, which re-nationalized Lao Aviation. The airline was re-branded in 2003 to become Lao Airlines and on 8 November 2011 took delivery of the first of two Airbus A320 aircraft ordered from Airbus and the second A320 arriving in December 2011. 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 are powered by CFM International CFM56 engines.

Destinations

LaoAirlinesATR72 - Lao Airlines ATR 72-500 at Wattay International Airport, Vientiane. Lao Airlines ART72 Pakxe - Lao Airlines ATR 72 (RDPL-34132) with plumeria livery at Pakse International Airport, Laos. Lao Airlines Airbus A320 Prasertwit-1 - Lao Airlines Airbus A320-200 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok.

{{Main|List of Lao Airlines destinations

Interline agreements

Lao Airlines has interline agreements with the following airlines:

Aeroflot (SkyTeam) Air France (SkyTeam) Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance) Bangkok Airways Berjaya Air Cambodia Angkor Air China Airlines (SkyTeam) China Eastern Airlines (SkyTeam) Etihad Airways EVA Air (Star Alliance)

Garuda Indonesia (SkyTeam) Hahn Air Hainan Airlines Jetstar Airways Jetstar Asia Airways KLM|KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (SkyTeam) Korean Air (SkyTeam) Myanmar Airways International Qantas|Qantas Airways Limited (Oneworld) Qatar Airways (Oneworld)

Philippine Airlines SilkAir Singapore Airlines (Star Alliance) SriLankan Airlines (Oneworld) Thai Airways (Star Alliance) Vietnam Airlines (SkyTeam) XiamenAir|Xiamen Airlines (SkyTeam)

Fleet Current fleet As of August 2017, Lao Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft: Lao Airlines Fleet Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes J Y Total Airbus A320 family|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 Historic Fleet {{Div col Antonov An-2]] Antonov An-12BP Antonov An-24 Antonov An-26]] ATR 42-300]] ATR 72-200]] Boeing 737-200]] Cessna 208B]] Douglas DC-4]] Fairchild C-123]] Harbin Y-12 Mil Mi-8]] Mil Mi-17]] Sikorsky S-58]] Tupolev Tuesday - 154]] Vickers Viscount Xian MA60]] Xian Y-7 Yakovlev Yak-40]] {{Div col end Accidents and incidents On 1 September 1979, a Lao Aviation Antonov An-26 (registration RDPL-34037) force-landed in a corn field at Ban Mai, Thailand, due to fuel exhaustion after the pilot became disorientated in heavy rain; all 74 passengers and crew survived, but the aircraft was substantially damaged; the aircraft was repaired and flown back to Vientiane on 31 January 1980 where it was written off after crashing on landing. On 22 April 1990, a Lao Aviation Antonov An-24|Antonov An-24RV (registration RDPL-34008) overshot the runway at Luang Namtha Airport after an aborted takeoff; the aircraft collided with a building, killing one; all three on the aircraft survived. On 13 December 1993, a Lao Aviation Harbin Y-12|Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II (registration RDPL-34117) crashed on approach to ☎savanh Airport after clipping trees in fog, killing all 18 on board. On 25 May 1998, a Lao Aviation Yakovlev Yak-40 (registration RDPL-34001) crashed in the jungle in heavy rain near Long Tieng, Xiangkhouang Province, killing all 26 on board. The aircraft was carrying a Vietnamese military delegation from Vientiane to Xiangkhouang. On 19 October 2000, Lao Aviation Flight 703, a Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II (registration RDPL-34130), crashed into mountainous terrain in bad weather while on approach to Sam Neua Airport en route from Vientiane; eight of 17 on board died. On 14 February 2002, a Lao Aviation Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II (registration RDPL-34118) crashed on the runway while taking off from Sam Neua Airport due to a wind gust; all 15 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off; the engines were sent to Singapore to be rebuilt and the fuselage was cut up and sent to Vietnam for scrap metal. On 16 October 2013, Lao Airlines Flight 301|Flight 301, an ATR 72|ATR 72-600 (registration RDPL-34233) twin turboprop carrying 44 passengers and 5 crew, crashed into the Mekong River, at about 16:00 local time; all 49 on board died. The aircraft was flying from Vientiane to Pakxe|Pakse in Champasak Province in southern Laos, and was attempting to land in bad weather associated with Typhoon Nari (2023) | Typhoon Nari. References {{reflist External links Category:Lao Airlines| Category:Airlines of Laos Category:Airlines established in 1976]] Category:IATA members Category:Government-owned airlines Category:Economy of Vientiane Category:1976 establishments in Laos