Lao Airlines

I have flown on a few Lao Airlines flights both domestic and international. In recent years I think it's mostly shaken it's negative reputation as an unsafe airline; The most popular intrenational and domestic routes are flown with French built ATR-72's and these aircraft have NEVER had any problems let alone crashes. These aircraft fly from Siem Reap (the gateway city to the infamous Angkor ruins in Cambodia) to the Lao capital of Vientiane fairly regulary. This flight is very handy if you have more money than time because by land this takes days and lots stress on bad roads through northern Cambodia. The other most popular route the ATR-72's fly ...  Read the complete review

well I'm still here... Actually, despite their dreadful safety reputation, I know of many people who haven't died on a Lao Aviation flight - kept meeting them all over Laos and Cambodia on my recent trip! The trick when flying Cambodia - Laos is to try and get on one of the code-share Vietnam Airlines flights that run alternate days. Really nice Fokker jets run this service and it's twice as quick. But in Lao Aviation's defence, it was a really convenient way to get there and I'd do it again (though probably with my fingers crossed)... ...  Read the complete review

Lao Aviation is the Government Airline. A few years ago a shareholding was sold to a Chinese Company the name of which I cannot remember. The Lao Government made an error here in that if they had got someone like Singapore Airlines to invest in them they would have got a lot more out of it. The fleet is a varied one. For the main International flights they use modern Boeing 737s and have now got some western ATR 42 and 72 aircraft. The internal fleet is a mixture of Russian Antonov 24s. Chinese copies of these, Harbin Y7s or the small twin engined Harbin Y12. Add to this the odd ex military Mil 8 helicopter and you have quite a fleet. The main aiports ...  Read the complete review