Airport Overview 

Savannakhet International Airport is located in Savanakhet province in the South of Laos. It has a concrete runway that measures 1,638 m by 38 m. Currently, there is only one airline operating non-stop flights from Savannakhet to Vientiane capital, which is Lao Airlines. The aircraft used on this service is the Chinese built Xian MA60 including ATR72 aircraft. Ground handling service is also provided by the airlines. 

Airport Location and Contact
Country	Laos
Province or District	Savannakhet
Nearest Town or City   with Distance from Airport	Kaysonphomviharne
Airport’s Complete Name	Savannakhet International Airport
Latitude	16.556667
Longitude	104.759444
Elevation (ft and m)	509 ft  155 m
IATA Code	ZVK
ICAO Code	VLSK
Managing Company or Airport Authority	Department of Civil Aviation (DCA)
Management Contact Person	+856 21 513 163
Open From (hours)	08:00
Open To (hours)	18:00

Airport Picture 

Source: Laos Travel https://laostravel.com/airports-in-laos/ 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

Lao Airlines manages and operates ground handling service at the airport. The airline handles the loadings and off-loadings of passengers’ belongings from the aircraft to conveyor belt loader by manpower. 

 

For more information on airport contacts, please see the following link: 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List. 

Information on some aviation service providers can be found at: http://www.azfreight.com/  

 

Passenger and Cargo Performance Indicator 

Annual air passenger traffic is estimated around 57,600 that consist of 33,600 international passengers and 24,000 domestic passengers. 

Note: the figures of aircraft movements, 545 aircrafts, represent only domestic aircraft movements in the year 2019. 

Performance for 2019
	Per Year	Per Month	Per Day
Total Aircraft Movements	545	46	16
Total Passengers	57,600	4,800	160
Total Capacity of the Airport (MT)	N/A
Current Activity of the Airport (MT)	N/A
Current use by Humanitarian Flights (UNHAS)	N/A

No information in available on cargo capacity. 

 

Runways 

The airport has a single 1,638 meter long concrete runway with 38 metres in width. It is capable for the taking and landing off large jets such as ATR 42/72, Airbus A31X/32X. 

Runway #1
Runway Dimensions	1,638 (m) x 38 (m)
Orientation	04/22
Surface	Concrete

Helicopter Pad(s) 

A designated helicopter pad is not visible. With a calculated aircraft parking surface area of 60 m x 70 m, helicopter landing is possible.   

Helipad #1
Present	Yes
Largest Helicopter that can Land	No restrictions
Width and Length (m)	60 m x 70 m (est.)
Surface	Concrete

 

Helipad #2
Present	N/A
Largest Helicopter That Can Land	N/A
Width and Length (m)	N/A
Surface	N/A

Airport Infrastructure Details 

The airport is equipped with infrastructure that is required for operation of airports and air navigation services. Installation and maintenance is under the supervision of Department of Civil Aviation. 

Customs	Yes	JET A-1 fuel	Yes
Immigration	Yes	AVGAS 100	No
Terminal Building	Yes	Single Point Refueling	Yes
Passenger Terminal	Yes	Air Starter Units	N/A
Cargo terminal	Yes	Ground Power (mobile)	N/A
Pax Transport to Airfield	Yes	Ground Handling Services	Yes
Control Tower	Yes	Latrine Servicing	Yes
Weather Facilities	Yes	Fire Fighting Category (ICAO)	Yes
Catering Services	Yes	De-icing Equipment	No
Base Operating Room	Yes	Parking Ramp Lighting	Yes
Airport Radar	Yes	Approach & Runway Lights	Yes
NDB	No	VOR	No
ILS	No

Airport Operating Details 

Operating Details
Maximum Sized Aircraft that can be Offloaded on Bulk Cargo	ATR 42/72, Airbus A31X/32X
Maximum Sized Aircraft that can be Offloaded on Pallet	ATR 42/72, Airbus A31X/32X
Total Aircraft Parking Area (m²)	4,200 m2 (est.)
Storage Area (m3 and MT)	N/A
Handling Equipment
Elevators / Hi Loaders	No	Max Capacity (MT)
		Max Height  (m)
Loading Ramps	No
Other Comments	The Lao Airlines, the ground handling service provider, uses manpower for the handling of loadings and off-loadings of passengers’ belongings from the aircraft to conveyor belt loader by hands.

Customs Guidance 

Customs Department, which is under Ministry of Finance, imposts requirements and regulations for imports and exports. It takes about three days for import and export clearance. 

Passenger on arrival: 

A traveller or passenger arriving at one of Lao's international airports or border crossing should bring into Laos any personal belongings that do not exceed the amounts permitted. These amounts are listed below: 

• All types of alcohol: Not exceeding 2 litres 

• All types of beer: Not exceeding 5 litres 

• All types of wine: Not exceeding 3 litres 

• All types of cigarettes: Not exceeding 1 carton (200 cigarettes) 

• All types of cigars: Not exceeding 50 cigars 

• Tobacco leaves: Not exceeding 250 grams 

• Perfume or fragrant oils: Not exceeding one item of each 

• Precious objects: as specified by Bank of Lao 

• Foreign currency: as specified by Bank of Lao 

A traveller or passenger is bound by all regulations and requirements concerning the import of foreign or Lao currency, precious objects, archaeological and cultural objects and any other restricted or prohibited goods. 

Exemptions from Customs Duties: 

Certain categories of goods are exempt from Customs duties.  The imported goods/cargo is handled within three days. Below is a brief list of these exemptions.  

• Humanitarian assistance 

• Goods and vehicles for diplomatic missions 

• Goods and vehicles by approved international organizations or international non-governmental organizations 

• Certain kinds of items when changing residence (moving house) 

• Civil servants completing their mission, students graduated from abroad and foreigners wishing to have permanent residence that import items in addition to vehicles are exempted from Customs duties for the following items: 
  - certain items and in certain quantities that are not of a commercial nature 
  - household items 
  - goods received from inheritance. 

• Gifts of a delegation from overseas on official visits 

• Grant aid from foreign countries, borrowing or debt payment of the government 

• Goods used for religious purposes (e.g. religious ceremonies, construction of religious sites) that  have  certified documents from a Buddhist organization or the Lao Front for Construction or the Ministry of Information and Culture 

• Goods, weapons and special vehicles to be used for national defense and public security 

• Samples and items for scientific research that are not of a commercial nature 

• Under the Law on Investment Promotion the importation of certain categories of goods is subject to exemption or reduction of Customs duties and other obligations. 

• Goods brought into and out of special economic zones and specific economic zones 

• Goods sold to outgoing travellers in duty free shops duly authorized by the Ministry of Finance 

 

For more information on customs in Laos, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.   

Storage Facilities 

No information is available for the storage capacity. 

Airfield Costs 

NAVIGATION CHARGES 

Navigation charges indicated below are for international flights. A part from the figures indicated in the table, other handling charges per flight include USD 0.5 for refuelling, USD 50 for aircraft docking service and USD 100 for electricity.  

 

Charges	Aircraft Weight - MTOW (kg)
	0 - 7,000  (0 – 7 mt)	7,001 - 136,000  (7.1-150 mt)	136,001 and over  (150.1 mt and over)
Navigation (per journey) USD - $	70	110 (7 mt to 20 mt)  160 (20 mt to 50 mt)  230 (50 mt to 100 mt)  260 (100 mt to 150 mt)	300 (150 mt to 200 mt)  350 (200 mt to 250 mt)  357 (250 mt to 300 mt)  410 ( above 300 mt)
Landing USD - $	50	100 (7 mt to 20 mt)  250 (20 mt to 50 mt)  300 (50 mt to 100 mt)  400 (100 mt to 150 mt)	500 (150 mt to 200 mt)  600 (200 mt to 250 mt)  700 (250 mt to 300 mt)  800 ( above 300 mt)
Night Landing USD - $	N/A
Night Take-Off USD - $	N/A
Parking	4	12 (7 mt to 20 mt)  30 (20 mt to 50 mt)  60 (50 mt to 100 mt)	120 (100 mt to 200 mt)  180 (200 mt to 300 mt)  270 ( above 300 mt)
Handling Charges	See above

Note: overnight parking charge is multiplied by 2 per night. 

 

FUEL SERVICES CHARGES 

Fuel prices in Laos are regulated by Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) that makes decisions on fuel (all types) prices based on fluctuation of world fuel prices. Lao State Fuel Company (LSFC), a 100% state-owned company, is delegated by MOIC to adjust (increase or decrease) the fuel prices. 

Jet A-1 fuel is transported from Thailand by a special tanker that is operated by LSFC. The company does not, however, import Avgas at the time being. LSFC has a jet fuel depot located behind the airport. It serves jet fuel refuel for both domestic and international flights. 

Source : https://jet-a1-fuel.com/price/laos, September 16, 2023. 

 

	Price per Litre USD - $
Jet A-1	0.547
Avgas	N/A

 

CARGO TERMINAL CHARGES 

No information is available for the cargo terminal charges at the time being. 

 

AIR-BRIDGE CHARGES 

No information is available on the air bridge charge. 

Security 

Laos is generally a peaceful country. Although there is no threat from international terrorism, airport security is strong. There is a police presence and the airport authorities have also engaged a private security company. The airport enforces and maintains strict international security checking standards. 

Laos is recorded in the 46th rank in the 2023 Global Peace Index. It scores 1.770 points in the peace index. In comparison, Iceland is in the 1st rank for most peaceful country with 1.124 points while Afghanistan stands at the last 163th rank receiving 3.448 points.