Pakse airport reopens for large aircraft

(KPL) Champassak province?s Pakse International Airport officially reopened for the big airline kites to land on 1 November 2009, after its closure in March 2008 for the upgrading on its runway.

The Lao Civil Aviation Department announced recently that Lao Airlines and other airlines would resume their normal flight services to and from Pakse International Airport, starting from 1 November 2009 upon completion of the airport upgrading project.

A series of local and regional flights, such as the following would commence: Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Siem Reap, Savannakhet and Bangkok, and vice versa.

Owing to the Airport Upgrading Project, the runway was closed for one and half year for repairs and resurfacing work on some parts of the runway.

Director-General of Lao Civil Aviation Department Mr Yakua Laopangkao said that certain stretches of the runway were constructed several decades ago and they suffered from wear and tear. ?We gave priority to carrying out work to improve the runway as we were making every effort to ensure the smooth landing of the huge and wide-bodied airline kites as we would like to welcome the growing number of visitors to Champassak province,? said Mr Yakua.

Mr Anousack, Lao officer, said that this airport upgrading project was for the purpose of upgrading Pakse airport to reach the capability of an international airport and thereby enabling Boing-737 and Airbus-A320 airliners to land and take off.

The runway was extended from 1,650 x 36 metres to 2,400 x 45 metres. The Pakse Airport Upgrading Project was funded by the Thai government to the tune of 230 million Baht, 30% of which was in the form of a direct grant and the rest was a loan, albeit at a low interest loan.