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Regional carrier Lao Airlines wants to focus more on Northeast Asia as local competition heats up on regional routes.
Since May, Laos national carrier Lao Airlines has to face domestic and regional competition from a new carrier, Lao Central Airlines. Owned by bankers and real estate developers, the new air carrier launched its first regular flights from Vientiane to Bangkok, Luang Prabang and Pakse. The website shows that the airline offers on its three new routes three weekly services with Boeing 737-400.
While competition is for the time being very limited, Lao Central Airlines wants to become an ‘aggressive player’ in Laos according to the airline’s website. Lao Airlines has still currently the advantage of having the most comprehensive network from Vientiane.
After launching a few months ago services on Vientiane-Singapore, Laos national carrier is now looking at launching charter services to Seoul and Tokyo from August (twice a week) as well as a regular service to Guangzhou before the end of the year. Guangzhou would then become Lao Airlines’ third destination in China after Kunming and Jinghong –both being located in Yunnan. Lao Airlines has a fleet of ten aircraft,including two Airbus A320s, four ATR72s and four Chinese MA-60s. Two more ATR 72 are due to be delivered by the end of the year.
Over the summer 2012, Vientiane is linked by 146 flights to 15 destinations. Lao Airlines represents 58.9% of all the weekly frequencies from the Laotian capital with 86 frequencies.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
