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The Department of Civil Aviation of Lao PDR is the civil aviation authority of Laos. The agency, a division of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT), has its headquarters on the property of the Wattay International Airport in Sikhodtabong District, Vientiane.
The Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for policy and planning in civil aviation and for regulatory oversight of technical and safety matters pertaining to aviation and the Lao Airports Authority (LAA). The department has eight divisions in addition to the Lao Airports Authority, which is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Wattay international and domestic airport terminals (Vientiane), two regional airports (Luangprabang and Pakse), and two provincial airports (Louang Namtha and Savannakhet). All other provincial small airports are the responsibility of the provincial governments with the department’s technical consultation.
Laos has 14 airport fields and 39 smaller airstrips, however not all are operational at the moment. The main airport is Wattay International Airport located in Vientiane Capital. The other minor ones but also important are in Luanprabang, Pakse, Savannakhet, Oudomxay and Luang Namtha. There are limited operations in Attapue, Saravan, Samnue, and Sayaboury.
Vientiane is the main international gateway, while Louangphrabang and Pakxe accept regional traffic and provide customs, immigration, and quarantine services. Another significant provincial airport is Savannakhet. The two regional airports at Luangprabang and Pakxe and the Wattay Airport at Vientiane cover international traffic and associated services.
Several international airlines such as Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, China Eastern Airlines, Lao Airlines, Thai Airways, and Vietnam Airlines provide international services. Direct connections are also available to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ha Noi from Louangphrabang, and to Bangkok and Siem Reap from Pakxe. Scheduled domestic services are operated on main routes by Lao Airlines with regular daily services, and additional flights are made in the rainy season to selected locations.
The state-owned airline, Lao Air, flies 10-seat Cessna aircrafts on a regular basis to three remote provinces—Houaphan, Phongsali, and Xayabury. Domestic and international services are provided primarily for tourist traffic.
Key airport information may also be found at: http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Laos.php
# | Location | Airport Name | ICAO | IATA | Customs | Runway | IFR | Runway (M) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vientiane | Wattay International | VLVT | VTE | Yes | Paved | Yes | 3,000 x 45 |
2 | Luang Prabang | Luang Prabang International | VLLB | LPQ | Yes | Paved | No | 2,200 x 45 |
3 | Savannakhet | Savannakhet | VLSK | ZVK | No | Paved | No | 1,633 x 38 |
4 | Pakse | Pakse International | VLPS | PKZ | Yes | Paved | Yes | 2,400 x 45 |
5 | Luang Namtha | Luang Namtha | VLLN | LXG | Yes | Paved | No | 1,600 x 30 |
6 | Oudomxai | Oudomxai | VLOS | ODY | No | Paved | No | 1,600 x 30 |
7 | Ban Hat Tai | Ban Huoeisay/ ban Houay Xay | VLHS | OUI | No | Paved | No | 1,500 x 23 |
8 | Xam Neua | Sam Neua | VLSN | NEU | No | Paved | No | 1,000 x 18 |
9 | Xiangnabouli | Xiangnabouli | VLSB | ZBY | No | Unpaved | No | 1,000 x 18 |
10 | Xieng Khouang | Xieng Khouang | VLXK | XKH | No | Paved | No | 2,600 x 40 |
11 | Attapeu | Attopeu | VLAP | AOU | No | Unpaved | No | 1,850 x 30 |
12 | Saravane | Saravane | VLSV | VNA | No | Paved | No | 1,060 |
13 | Khong Island | Khong Island | VLKG | KOG | No | Unpaved | No | N/A |
14 | Thakhek | Thakhek | VLTK | THK | No | Unpaved | No | 1,400 |
Location | Airport Name | IATA |
---|---|---|
Houeisay | Houeisay | HOE |
Muong Sai | Muong Sai | UON |
Paksane | Paksane | PKS |
Phongsaly | Bounneua | PCQ |
Seno | Seno | SND |
Vangrieng | Vangrieng | VGG |
Viengxay | Viengxay | VNG |
Xienglom | Xienglom | XIE |
Registration of Aircrafts in Lao PDR is governed by the The Law on Civil Aviation Lao PDR - Presidential Decree No. 43/PO. The process is handled by Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Department of Civil Aviation) and involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Any aircraft that intends to fly within the airspace of the Lao PDR shall be registered and shall have nationality and registration marks in accordance with the laws of the Lao PDR or of the concerned State.
Aircraft registration in the Lao PDR must be carried out in accordance with the following conditions:
When a person or organisation has duly registered its own civil aircraft in the Lao PDR, the rights in such aircraft shall be recognised in accordance with the relevant international conventions to which the Lao PDR is a party.
Air traffic services (i.e. the provision of facilitation and control of air traffic, including for overflights over the territory of the Lao PDR) shall be conducted under common regulations throughout the entire country, consistent with regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation for ensuring the safe, speedy, and orderly flow of air traffic.
Flight Clearance and Aircraft Entry Requirements
All private and nonscheduled commercial aircraft overflying or landing for commercial or noncommercial purposes must request clearance at least 15 days prior to departure.
All requests must include: Type of aircraft and registration marks; Radio call and frequency; Name and nationality of pilot and crew members; Complete route of flight; Dates, times of entry and exit from airspace of Laos; Dates and times of arrival and departure, if landing; Flight altitudes; Reason for flight; Number and nationality of passengers and type and amount of cargo; Name and address of aircraft operator and owner; and type and amount of fuel required.
Request to be submitted to: Department of Civil Aviation, 2 Pangkham Street, P.O. Box 119
Vientiane, Laos. Fax: (856) 21-512216, AFTN: VLAOYAYX
Source: Aeronautical information (AIP, Laos)
International Flights
# | Airline | IATA Code | Routes |
1 | Thai Airways | TG | Vientiane -Bangkok |
2 | Bangkok Airways | PG | Vientiane - Bangkok Luang Prabang - Bangkok |
3 | Air Asia | I5 | Vientiane - Kuala Lumpur |
4 | Vietnam Airlines | VN | Vientiane – Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City/Phnom Penh/Vinh |
5 | China Eastern Airlines | MU | Vientiane – Kunming/Nanning |
6 | Cambodia Angkor Air | K6 | Vientiane – Hanoi, Phnom Penh |
7 | Jin Air | LJ | Vientiane – Seoul-Incheon |
8 | Korean Air | KE | Vientiane – Seoul-Incheon |
9 | Silk Air | MI | Vientiane – Singapore (resumes 31 Oct 2016) |
10 | Sky Wings Asia Airlines | ZA | Siem Reap |
11 | T’way Airlines | TW | Charter: Seoul-Incheon |
12 | Thai AirAsia | FD | Bangkok-Don Mueang (begins July 2016) |
13 | Lao Airlines | QV | Vientiane – Bangkok, Hanoi/Siem Reap, Kunming, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Guangzhou, Phnom Penh (suspended), Seoul-Incheon, Siem Reap, Singapore Luang Prabang – Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Udon Thani Pakse – Siem Reap, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City Savannakhet – Bangkok Charter: Busan |
Domestic Flights
# | Airline | IATA code | Routes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Laos Airlines | QV | Vientiane, LuangPrabang, Pakse, Oudomxai, Xieng Khouang, Houeysay, LuangNamtha, Savannakhet Luang Prabang – Pakse Pakse – Savannakhet |
2 | Lao Skyway | LK | Sam Neua, Sayaboury |
Fuel Services
The Lao State Fuel Company (LSFC) has jet fuel depots located in 4 airports namely: Wattay International Airport, Savannakhet Airport, Pakse International Airport, and Luang Prabang International Airport. LSFC handles refueling of aircrafts through use of fuel trucks refueling at the apron. Other suppliers of aviation fuel include PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil) and its subsidiary Societe Shell du Laos.
Details of other conditions and requirements can be found in the following document: Law on Civil Aviation Lao PDR
For information on Laos Airport contact details, please see the following link:
4.4 Laos Airport Company Contact List
For Laos Airport additional details, please see the following document:
Laos Airport Additional Details
Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.