New ATR72-600 aircraft for Lao Airlines domestic service
New ATR72-600 aircraft for Lao Airlines domestic service
A new ATR72-600 propeller aircraft touched down at Wattay International Airport yesterday afternoon after four-days flying from France where it was manufactured.
The aircraft was ordered for the purpose of mainly serving domestic passenger services and goods transportation as well as some international flights instead of airbus planes in some cases, Vice President of Lao Airlines Mr Sengpraseuth Mathouchanh said at the ceremony to welcome the new aircraft.
The ceremony was also attended by President of Lao Airlines Dr Somphone Douangdara and other staff.
The airbus aircraft would fly the longer distance routes to countries like Republic of Korea, China, and sometimes they would serve high level government leaders, Mr Sengpraseuth added.
He said currently many countries tended to use ATR72-600 aircraft because they were technologically advanced and the aircrafts' cockpit was more modern than the ATR72-500.
The company plans to expand its fleet of aircraft because it wants to grow its service network on both local and international routes.
“Purchasing of new aircraft will also respond to the expansion of business and the increasing numbers of tourists to the country,” said Mr Sengpraseuth.
In 2010, Lao Airlines recorded only about 500,000 passe ngers, but in 2012 the figure jumped to about 900,000 customers and is expected to exceed 1 million people this year.
The number of tourist arrivals in Laos reached 3.3 million in 2012, an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, in comparison neighbouring Cambodia received more than 3.5 million tourists in 2012 and Myanmar just over 1 million.
Mr Sengpraseuth said next month the 10th National Games would be taking place in Oudomxay province, so they would be opening two flights per day by using existing ATR72-500 and ATR72-600 aircraft starting from December 1 to accommodate more foreign tourists and passengers going there.
Currently the airline has 13 aircraft - four MA60's with 56 seats each, four ATR72-500's and one ATR72-600 with 70 seats each as well as four Airbus 320's with 158 seats each.
Its current network includes international routes to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand; Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam; Kunming, Quangzhou and Jinghong in China; Siem Reap in Cambodia, to Singapore as well as Seoul and Busan in the Republic of Korea.
Its domestic flights service the provinces of LuangPrabang, Champassak, Savannakhet, XiengKhuang, Oudomxay, Bokeo and LuangNamtha.
vientiane times
