Lao Airlines

Lao Airlines is the national airline of Laos. The site calls it a state enterprise that is fully owned by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Its registered office is at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane.

The airline was founded in 1976 as the Civil Aviation Company. It was formed by joining two older airlines, Royal Air Lao and Lao Air Lines. The first fleet was a mix of Western aircraft, including the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4, plus helicopters for remote areas. In the 1980s the fleet changed to mostly Chinese and Soviet aircraft, such as the Antonov An-24.

In 1994 the airline chose to move to ATR turboprops from France. The ATR 42 arrived first, and an ATR 72 followed soon after. The airline later used Y-7 and Y-12 aircraft on routes to remote areas, but the site says these have left the fleet. The arrival of the Airbus A320 brought a new phase and more cargo capacity.

The booking tool on the homepage lists departure points in Laos and in other countries, including Cambodia, China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Flights can be domestic or international, one way or round trip.

The website also has a flight schedule, route map, fleet information, seat selection, baggage rules and online check-in. It runs a loyalty program called ChampaBonus. There is a charter flights page, and the contact page lists ticket offices in several countries.