Lao Airlines, the flag carrier of Laos, is charting an ambitious expansion course through 2025. After the challenges of recent years, the airline has launched new routes, upgraded its fleet, and deepened regional partnerships to reconnect Laos with its neighbors.
These developments align with Laos’ Visit Laos Year 2024 tourism campaign and the broader rebound in travel across Southeast Asia. In this article, we review Lao Airlines’ newly launched routes, fleet updates, regional connectivity initiatives, and the competitive landscape shaping Laos’s aviation sector.
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New Routes and Destinations in 2024–2025
Expanded ASEAN Connections
In early 2024, Lao Airlines introduced several international routes to boost accessibility to Laos. Notably, Savannakhet–Bangkok flights resumed on 15 March 2024, operating thrice weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays). This marks the revival of a service last flown in 2017, offering travelers in southern Laos direct access to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi hub.
Shortly after, on 19 March 2024, the airline also relaunched direct flights between Vientiane and Phnom Penh (3 times weekly), re-establishing a Laos–Cambodia link that had been dormant since the pandemic. (However, due to low demand and competition, the Vientiane–Phnom Penh route was suspended again by mid-June 2024.)
Another notable addition was Vientiane–Danang, which commenced on 4 April 2024 with two flights weekly. Danang, a vibrant beach city in central Vietnam, is now just a short flight away – reflecting Laos’s strategy to tap into Vietnam’s booming beach tourism and to offer Laotians new holiday options.
These ASEAN route launches have been key in rebuilding Laos’s tourism connectivity post-Covid, making it easier for regional travelers to include Laos in multi-destination trips.
China Routes Resuming and Expanding
Given China’s importance to Laos (both economically and for tourism), Lao Airlines has aggressively worked to restore and add China flights. By mid-2023 the carrier had resumed flights from Vientiane to Kunming, Guangzhou, and Changsha as China lifted travel restrictions. For example, the Vientiane–Changsha route reopened with twice-weekly flights (Mondays and Fridays), catering to business travelers and tourists; the very first flight in May 2023 was 80% full, underscoring strong demand.
Building on this momentum, Pakse–Guangzhou service was launched on 19 May 2024 – a once-weekly Airbus A320 flight linking Laos’s southern city to China’s trade hub. In northern Laos, flights between Luang Prabang and Changsha have also resumed, reconnecting the UNESCO-listed Laotian city with Hunan province.
Looking ahead, Lao Airlines is adding a new Vientiane–Shanghai Pudong route starting 06 June 2025. This marks the airline’s return to China’s financial capital with weekly A320 flights, timed conveniently as a day-trip from Vientiane (departing mid-morning and returning in the evening).
Shanghai will become one of the ten international destinations in Lao’s network and reflects optimism for Chinese outbound tourism. The airline has even hinted at plans to expand further into East Asia – including potential routes to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan – once regulatory approvals and market conditions align.
Domestically, a new route to Bokeo (in northwestern Laos) was launched in November 2024, opening up the Golden Triangle region: daily ATR-72 flights now connect Vientiane to Bokeo’s new international airport in Ton Pheung, supporting emerging tourism and casinos there. (The older airport at Ban Houei Sai in Bokeo had seen only limited use and is now effectively replaced).
Through these route launches and resumptions, Lao Airlines is steadily rebuilding a network spanning 22 destinations as of 2025, reaffirming its role in linking Laos to ASEAN and beyond.
New Routes and Destinations in 2024–2025
Lao Airlines has also modernized its fleet to support the expanded network. In April 2025, the airline took delivery of its first COMAC C909 regional jet – becoming only the second airline outside China (after Indonesia’s TransNusa) to operate this aircraft type.
The C909 (formerly known as the ARJ21) is a 90-seat, single-aisle jet configured in all-economy class.
The jet was officially added to the fleet on 31 March 2025 and entered commercial service on 12 April 2025, initially flying domestic trunk routes.
Lao Airlines deployed the C909 on its Vientiane–Pakse route (replacing ATR turboprops on most flights) and Vientiane–Savannakhet route,
significantly increasing capacity and cutting travel times on these key internal links.
The introduction of jet service is a boon for travelers – for instance, the 1-hour hop from the capital to Pakse is now operated mainly by the faster, pressurized jet instead of slower turboprops.
This fleet upgrade is a milestone for the airline and for Chinese aircraft abroad. The C909/ARJ21’s manufacturer, COMAC, provided extensive support, including crew training and maintenance teams, to ensure a smooth entry into service. Initially, flights have been crewed by Chinese pilots alongside Lao Airlines cabin crew, as Lao pilots undergo training on the new type.
The aircraft’s performance is well-suited to Laos’s environment – COMAC notes its strong hot-and-high and short-field capabilities, ideal for the country’s short runways and tropical climate. By integrating the ARJ21, Lao Airlines is expanding capacity on domestic routes and will eventually be able to deploy the jet on shorter international sectors as needed. The rest of Lao Airlines’ fleet continues to include 4 Airbus A320-200s for major routes, and a number of ATR 72-500/600 turboprops for regional hops and domestic services. (The airline even wet-leases a MA60 turboprop from Lao Skyway for certain local flights).
The new 90-seat C909 jets augment this fleet mix by filling the gap between the 70-seat ATRs and the 150-seat A320s, giving Lao Airlines more flexibility in right-sizing aircraft to routes as travel demand grows.
Strengthening Regional Connectivity and Tourism
Beyond individual routes and aircraft, Lao Airlines’ 2025 strategy is aimed at knitting Laos more tightly into the region’s transportation network. This is crucial for a landlocked country often overshadowed by its neighbors.
The Laotian government and the airline have promoted “multi-destination” tourism in partnership with neighbors – for example, by linking UNESCO World Heritage sites Luang Prabang and Siem Reap by air once again. Lao Airlines resumed a Luang Prabang–Pakse–Siem Reap service (3 times weekly) that allows tourists to easily combine Laos’s and Cambodia’s cultural capitals in one trip.
Similarly, the Vientiane–Luang Prabang–Chiang Mai triangle route (operated on Wed/Fri/Sun) reconnects northern Laos with northern Thailand, facilitating tourism between the two UNESCO cities via a short flightlaoairlines.com. These circuit routes underscore the airline’s role in reviving the Indochina tourism circuit that was disrupted during the pandemic.
According to the Lao Airlines Commercial Department, such routes were popular pre-2020 and their revival is expected to “bolster trade and general economic activity” as well as tourism.
Regionally, Laos is also pursuing joint tourism initiatives. An interesting development discussed in early 2024 is a prospective direct flight linking Luang Prabang and Bali (Indonesia). Tourism authorities from Laos and Indonesia have eyed this route to funnel European and Australian travelers from Bali up to Laos, while also encouraging Chinese tourists in Laos to add Bali to their itinerary.
While no airline has scheduled this flight yet, the fact that such long-range linkages are on the table signals Laos’s eagerness to diversify its tourism source markets. In the meantime, more pragmatic connectivity improvements with China are bearing fruit: direct flights from secondary Chinese cities (like China United Airlines’ new Beijing Daxing–Vientiane service launched in Dec 2024) are bringing waves of visitors.
Hong Kong Airlines also started weekly Hong Kong–Vientiane flights in April 2024, seeing demand from both tourists and business travelers. The surge in new air links has contributed to over 1.1 million foreign arrivals to Laos in the first quarter of 2023 – a 36% increase over the prior year – and the trajectory has remained upward through 2024.
However, not all connectivity relies on air: the December 2021 opening of the Laos-China high-speed railway has provided an alternative route for travelers between Kunming and Laos. While the train has diverted some traffic (especially budget travelers) from short flights, Lao Airlines is responding by focusing on routes beyond the railway’s reach (e.g. Changsha, Shanghai, and other cities deeper into China).
The airline’s strategy is to complement ground infrastructure rather than compete directly – by offering speed and convenience for higher-value markets and more distant city pairs. Overall, Lao Airlines’ route expansion, coupled with easier land entry and pro-tourism policies, is knitting Laos into Southeast Asia’s travel map more firmly than ever before.
Navigating Competition in Laos and Southeast Asia
The aviation landscape in Laos is increasingly dynamic, and Lao Airlines faces both new opportunities and intensified competition. Domestically, the airline’s only local competitor is Lao Skyway, a smaller carrier that primarily flies domestic routes with propeller aircraft.
Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway have a cooperative relationship at times (e.g. aircraft leases), but they also compete for passengers on key domestic hops like Vientiane–Luang Prabang.
The introduction of the C909 jet on some domestic routes gives Lao Airlines a competitive edge in capacity and comfort on these routes.
Regionally, foreign low-cost carriers are expanding into Laos, challenging Lao Airlines on price and frequency. Vietnam’s VietJet Air, for example, launched flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane in February 2024. Rather than cede the market, Lao Airlines entered a reciprocal codeshare partnership with VietJet by late 2024: now Lao Airlines can sell tickets on the VietJet-operated HCMC–Vientiane flights, and conversely VietJet places its code on Lao’s Vientiane–Hanoi flights.
This partnership boosts connectivity and convenience for passengers, effectively integrating the airlines’ Vietnam–Laos services. Neighbors Thailand and Malaysia have also seen carriers resume links: Thai AirAsia restarted its Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Vientiane and Luang Prabang routes in 2022, offering daily low-cost options.
And in July 2024 AirAsia Malaysia (AK) resumed Kuala Lumpur–Vientiane flights after a hiatus, with two weekly A320 flights initially. These entries mean travelers to Laos have more choice, but they also pressure Lao Airlines to remain competitive in pricing and service quality.
Traditional full-service airlines are present too. Thai Airways (which historically partnered with Lao Airlines) continues to serve Vientiane–Bangkok, and Vietnam Airlines operates daily Vientiane–Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh multi-stop flights as well as its nonstop Hanoi–Vientiane servicet. Bangkok Airways flies Bangkok–Luang Prabang, catering to upscale tourists.
Lao Airlines has managed to hold onto key routes like Bangkok by leveraging its home advantage and codeshares – it runs two daily Vientiane–Bangkok flights of its own, and code-shares with Thai Airways on additional frequencies. On less profitable routes, however, Lao Airlines has shown pragmatism by suspending or adjusting service (as seen with the short-lived Phnom Penh route).
Overall, the competitive landscape is pushing Lao’s flag carrier to be more agile and collaborative. The airline is capitalizing on partnerships (over 30 interline and codeshare agreements globally), fleet efficiency, and unique routes that play to Laos’s strengths (e.g. heritage tourism and Chinese market access).
Regulatory support is another factor: the Lao Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has been actively enabling growth, from fast-tracking certification of the new C909 jet to negotiating traffic rights with neighboring countries. This supportive environment helps Lao Airlines expand safely and sustainably.
As a result, even as competitive pressures increase, the airline is carving out its niche as a specialist in connecting Laos – whether by offering the only nonstop on a given route or by providing superior local knowledge and service on popular flights.
