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Lao Airlines may launch Vientiane-Singapore flight this year
Lao Airlines may launch a Vientiane-Singapore flight at the end of this year, according to a top official.
Deputy Director General of the state-owned enterprise, Mr Sengpraseuth Mathouchanh, said on Thursday the company was negotiating with Airbus, a French company, to lease or buy an Airbus 320 for use on the route.
“We plan to launch the Vientiane-Singapore route at the end of this year, but whether we put the plan into action depends on whether we can procure the aircraft,” he told Vientiane Times . “Our management plans to travel to France in middle of this month to negotiate to buy or lease the plane.”
Mr Sengpraseuth confirmed that once the company secures the aircraft, it will launch the Vientiane-Singapore route, saying that many tourists visiting Laos travel via Singapore.
“It is possible to bring tourists from Singapore to Laos directly without transiting in Bangkok, Thailand,” he said, adding that many tourists and business people travel to Laos via Singapore because of the cheaper flights on this route.
“If people coming to Laos, particularly Lao expatriates and those of ethnic Lao descent, know the flight is available, they may decide to use our service.”
The decision to launch the flight is in line with government policy to connect Laos to other Asean nations and will give tourists more travel options when visiting Laos.
Currently, most tourists visiting Laos travel via Bangkok, Thailand. But sporadic political unrest in the country over the past few years has made travel problematic. The Lao tourism industry could be put in jeopardy if it relies on Thailand as a gateway into the country.
Mr Sengpraseuth said the number of tourists flying with Lao Airlines has seen remarkable growth over the past year as the global financial situation has begun to improve. Laos is now a top tourist destination in Asia and most passengers carried by the airline are Japanese and European.
When asked why Singapore's Sin Air cancelled its Vientiane-Singapore flight several years ago, Mr Sengpraseuth said “The number of tourists travelling to Laos via Singapore at that time was much lower than at present.”
Lao Airlines currently flies to Luang Prabang and major cities in neighbouring countries including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, and Siem Reap.
vientiane times
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