Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Champa Meuanglao is the official inflight magazine of Lao Airlines. According to the magazine's editorial interview with Lao Airlines' internationalization project special advisor Fumiyasu Sakata in its May/June 2019 edition, Lao Airlines is looking towards Japan for its next stage of company growth.
In November 2019, Lao Airlines plans to launch Laos' first commercial flight from Vientiane to Fukuoka using its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Narita was excluded in the short-run as the airline does not have the operational capability to run long-haul flights to the airport yet.
To prepare and ensure the successful and continual operation and sustainability of the new route to Fukuoka, Lao Airlines is working on some branding opportunities in Fukuoka and with Kumamon, the famous mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, which borders Fukuoka, in order to help promote the new flight to Kyushu Island, where Kumamoto and Fukuoka are located.
Champa Holidays' itineraries of "Historical Laos" that cover visits to important sites of the former Lane Xang Kingdom in Laos, northeastern, northern Thailand, northwestern Vietnam and Cambodia via Vientiane will be tailored for and promoted to the Japanese travel market.
Lao Airlines is also negotiating a code-sharing flight arrangement with All Nippon Airways, which will bring more Japanese and international tourists to Laos.
Every year, a number of 15000 Japanese tourists visit Laos.
In 2020, Laos and Japan celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations. Fumiyasu predicts following the launch of flight to Fukuoka "there will be an increase in diplomatic and cultural exchanges, as well as more business air traffic flows. There are now over 100 Japanese companies in Laos and with easier access between the two countries this number can grow".
Lao Airlines has not yet finalized the detailed flight schedules to Laos. However, subject to bilateral regulatory approval, the schedules will be released in October 2019 before the winter season sets in.
The Lao national flag carrier will operate regular scheduled flights to Fukuoka.
Fumiyasu adds, "When the Fukuoka route is successful, then we can look at expanding the Lao Airlines fleet to include longer-range aircraft so that we could launch flights to other Japanese cities".
Fumiyasu Sakata first came to Laos in 2012 to assist Lao Central Airlines with a project to start a flight from Laos to Japan. It required a bilateral civil aviation agreement which took some time to ratify it in both countries. As Lao Central Airlines no longer exists, Lao Airlines took over the Japan flight project.
Lao Airlines celebrates 30 years of flight services to the world in 2019. Its aircraft fly within Laos and to destinations in Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Champa Meuanglao is the official inflight magazine of Lao Airlines. According to the magazine's editorial interview with Lao Airlines' internationalization project special advisor Fumiyasu Sakata in its May/June 2019 edition, Lao Airlines is looking towards Japan for its next stage of company growth.
In November 2019, Lao Airlines plans to launch Laos' first commercial flight from Vientiane to Fukuoka using its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Narita was excluded in the short-run as the airline does not have the operational capability to run long-haul flights to the airport yet.
To prepare and ensure the successful and continual operation and sustainability of the new route to Fukuoka, Lao Airlines is working on some branding opportunities in Fukuoka and with Kumamon, the famous mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, which borders Fukuoka, in order to help promote the new flight to Kyushu Island, where Kumamoto and Fukuoka are located.
Champa Holidays' itineraries of "Historical Laos" that cover visits to important sites of the former Lane Xang Kingdom in Laos, northeastern, northern Thailand, northwestern Vietnam and Cambodia via Vientiane will be tailored for and promoted to the Japanese travel market.
Lao Airlines is also negotiating a code-sharing flight arrangement with All Nippon Airways, which will bring more Japanese and international tourists to Laos.
Every year, a number of 15000 Japanese tourists visit Laos.
In 2020, Laos and Japan celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations. Fumiyasu predicts following the launch of flight to Fukuoka "there will be an increase in diplomatic and cultural exchanges, as well as more business air traffic flows. There are now over 100 Japanese companies in Laos and with easier access between the two countries this number can grow".
Lao Airlines has not yet finalized the detailed flight schedules to Laos. However, subject to bilateral regulatory approval, the schedules will be released in October 2019 before the winter season sets in.
The Lao national flag carrier will operate regular scheduled flights to Fukuoka.
Fumiyasu adds, "When the Fukuoka route is successful, then we can look at expanding the Lao Airlines fleet to include longer-range aircraft so that we could launch flights to other Japanese cities".
Fumiyasu Sakata first came to Laos in 2012 to assist Lao Central Airlines with a project to start a flight from Laos to Japan. It required a bilateral civil aviation agreement which took some time to ratify it in both countries. As Lao Central Airlines no longer exists, Lao Airlines took over the Japan flight project.
Lao Airlines celebrates 30 years of flight services to the world in 2019. Its aircraft fly within Laos and to destinations in Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea.
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