Lao Airlines

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Lao Airlines
ການບິນລາວ
LaoAirlineslogo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
QV LAO LAO
Founded19 January 1976; 45 years ago (19 January 1976)
HubsWattay International Airport
Luang Prabang International Airport
Frequent-flyer programChampa Muang Lao
Fleet size12
Destinations23[1]
HeadquartersVientiane, Laos
Key peopleMr Khamla Phommavanh
Employees1000
Websitelaoairlines.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]

History[]

Lao Airlines ATR 72-500 at Wattay International Airport, Vientiane
Lao Airlines ATR 72-200 (RDPL-34132) with plumeria livery at Pakse International Airport, Laos

In September 1976, the company was formed from the merger of existing airlines Royal Air Lao and .[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]

Destinations[]

Main article: List of Lao Airlines destinations

Codeshare agreements[]

Lao Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

  • Aeroflot (SkyTeam)
  • Air France (SkyTeam)
  • Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance)
  • Bangkok Airways
  • Berjaya Air
  • Cambodia Angkor Air
  • China Airlines (SkyTeam)
  • Etihad Airways
  • EVA Air (Star Alliance)
  • Garuda Indonesia (SkyTeam)
  • Korean Air (SkyTeam)
  • KLM (SkyTeam)
  • Jetstar Airways
  • Qantas (Oneworld)
  • Qatar Airways (Oneworld)
  • SriLankan Airlines (Oneworld)
  • Thai Airways (Star Alliance)
  • Turkish Airlines (Star Alliance)
  • Vietnam Airlines (SkyTeam)
  • XiamenAir (SkyTeam)

Fleet[]

As of July 2021, Lao Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[6][7]

Lao Airlines Fleet
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

Retired fleet[]

Lao Airlines retired fleet
Aircraft Fleet Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 737-200 Un­known 1994 2003
Douglas DC-4 Un­known 1976 Un­known
Mil Mi-8 Un­known 1976 Un­known

Livery[]

Lao Airlines have the plumeria livery on the vertical stabilizer. Plumeria is an official national flower of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The words "Lao Airlines" are colored in blue.[citation needed]

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.[8][9]
  • On 22 April 1990, a Lao Aviation 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.[10]
  • On 13 December 1993, a Lao Aviation Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II (registration RDPL-34117) crashed on approach to Phonesavanh Airport after clipping trees in fog, killing all 18 on board.[11]
  • 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.[12]
  • 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.[13]
  • 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, the fuselage was cut up and sent to Vietnam for scrap metal.[14]
  • On 16 October 2013, Flight 301, an 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 Pakse in Champasak Province in southern Laos, and was attempting to land in bad weather associated with Typhoon Nari.[15][16]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lao Airlines".
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Press Release #4 Archived 2013-10-21 at archive.today." (Archive) Lao Airlines. 18 October 2013. Retrieved on 20 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. pp. 104–105.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-26. Retrieved 2014-05-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Press releases". airbus. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  6. ^ https://www.laoairlines.com/?contentkey=pages&id=64
  7. ^ https://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Lao%20Airlines.htm
  8. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34037 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  9. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34037 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  10. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34008 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  11. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34117 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  12. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34001 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  13. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34130 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 17 October 2013.
  14. ^ Accident description for RDPL-34118 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2013.
  15. ^ "Lao Airlines plane crashes, 44 killed". Bankock Post. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  16. ^ "Plane crashes in Laos, 39 people killed: Thai TV". Reuters. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.

External links[]

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