Lao Airlines

In September 1976, the company was formed from the merger of two existing airlines, Royal Air Lao and Lao Air Lines. The company became Lao Aviation in 1979. It operated a fleet of western aircraft and helicopters until re-equiping with Soviet and Chinese aircraft in the 1980s.

The airline began upgrading to ATR turboprop aircraft in the mid-1990s, and subsequently to the Airbus A320. 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.

In May 2025, Lao Airlines became the second airline outside China (after TransNusa of Indonesia) to commence commercial flights with the Comac C909.

Destinations

As of July 2025, Lao Airlines flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:

Codeshare agreements

Lao Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Bangkok Airways

VietJet Air

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-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-II (registration RDPL-34117) crashed on approach to Phonesavanh 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 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, Flight 702, a Harbin 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.