Lao PDR and Indonesia study air link

VIENTIANE, 18 June 2014: Lao Airlines and Indonesia’s national flag carrier Garuda are conducting a feasibility study on a proposed direct flight between Vientiane and Jakarta.

A feasibility study is underway to see if there is enough business and leisure traffic to justify a service but it is unlikely to start before 2017.

Lao Airlines vice president, Sengpaseuth Mathouchanh, said Indonesia represented the biggest potential market in ASEA,  but there was no direct flight between the two countries.

“However, we are now studying travel patterns to see if a flight is viable,” he added.

“It is our plan to connect Laos with all other nine ASEAN member countries in order to grow our economy and boost tourism.”

The earliest a flight could be established would be 2017 and until then travellers will have to transit through Bangkok’s Suvannabhumi Airport connecting with services on Garuda to reach Jakarta.

An Air Transport Agreement between the two countries was signed in February 1997.

Laos stands at the heart of what is called the Mekong Region sharing borders with China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, the only country that has common borders with all other members of the six-country region.

But its aviation industry lags behind its neighbours and it could take another five years to bring it up to speed to offer direct flights to all ASEAN-member countries.

Malaysia based-airline AirAsia, THAI Airways International and Bangkok Airways operate a daily flight each from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok respectively to Vientiane while Nok Air provides three Fly ‘n’ Ride services a day to Laos’ capital.

Currently, Lao Airlines flies to 11 international destinations from Vientiane–Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Singapore Guangzhou, Jinghong, Kunming, and Seoul.

Garuda operates flights to Asian routes from Jakarta to Singpapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Bandar Seri Begawan.