Lao Airlines to Resume Direct Flights to Phnom Penh

In response to rising demand and as part of a strategic initiative in regional tourism, Lao Airlines is set to resume direct flights to Phno...

In response to rising demand and as part of a strategic initiative in regional tourism, Lao Airlines is set to resume direct flights to Phnom Penh from March 19. The move aligns with the launch of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) trilateral tourism cooperation, aptly named, “Three Countries, One Destination”, according to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).

SSCA spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha told The Post on February 5 that the airline, a Lao state-owned enterprise, has decided to recommence direct flights between the countries’ respective capitals: Vientiane and Phnom Penh. He said this followed a comprehensive review confirming that airline operations are now back to normal.

He noted that the service will offer three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, utilizing either the Airbus A320 or the ATR 72, a twin-engine turboprop. Chanserey Vutha noted that the airline previously operated direct flights on the Vientiane-Phnom Penh-Vientiane route from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Cambodia chapter, said the resumption of airline services is a positive indication for the tourism industry, which is gradually recovering from the severe impact of the COVID-19 crisis. “We have seen that Cambodia has historically attracted many tourists from the region, so the reintroduction of Lao Airlines also mirrors the growing demand for flights between the two countries,” he stated.

SSCA’s Chanserey Vutha noted that in 2023, Laos was the country’s fourth-largest source of foreign tourists. He noted the number of Lao travelers visiting Cambodia in 2023 exceeded 370,000, marking an increase of 302%.

In 2023, Cambodia welcomed over 5.4 million foreign visitors, an almost 140% increase compared to 2022. Visitors from four Asian countries constituted almost 70% of the total, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism.

“Lao Airlines is hopeful and confident that both Cambodian and foreign tourists will favor the direct flight. In the future, Lao Airlines also intends to extend this route to Preah Sihanouk province,” he added.

To aid foreign tourists and investors in traveling to and from Laos, Lao Airlines has announced new international routes in the region, including flights between Savannakhet [Laos] and Bangkok [Thailand]; Vientiane and Phnom Penh; and Vientiane and Da Nang [Vietnam], he added.

Chanserey Vutha said the SSCA granted the airline a flight permit for the new route on February 5, following their request. However, he said the flights were temporarily suspended due to market factors, clarifying that during the period, the company maintained its right to operate the route through a code-share agreement with Vietnam Airlines. Nonetheless, the airline has continued to operate flights on the Luang Prabang-Pakse-Siem Reap run, using ATR 72 aircraft, with roughly three flights per week.