This article concerns the systems of transportation in Laos. Laos is a country in Asia, which possesses a number of modern transportation systems, including several highways and a number of airports. As a landlocked country, Laos possesses no ports or harbours on the sea, and the difficulty of navigation on the Mekong means that this is also not a significant transport route.
Prince Souphanouvong, nicknamed the Red Prince, was along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the "Three Princes" who represented respectively the communist (pro-Vietnam), neutralist and royalist political factions in Laos. He was the President of Laos from December 1975 to October 1986.
Lao Airlines State Enterprise is the flag carrier of Laos, headquartered in Vientiane. It operates domestic and international services to countries such as Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Its main operating base is Wattay International Airport in Vientiane. It is owned by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Wattay International Airport is one of the few international airports in Laos and the country's main international gateway, serving the capital Vientiane, located 3 km (1.9 mi) outside of the city centre in Sikhottabong district, Vientiane Prefecture. The airport is operated by the Lao Airport Authority (LAA) and serves as a hub for Lao Skyway, Lao Central Airlines and Lao Airlines. The Lao Air Force also operates an installation at one end of the airport.
Attapeu, also written as Attopu or Attapu, is a town in southern Laos, serving as the capital of Attapeu province. Its official name is Muang Samakhi Xay. It is the southernmost of provincial capitals in Laos.
Xam Neua, is the capital of Houaphanh Province, Laos, in northeast Laos.
The Battle of Lima Site 85, also called Battle of Phou Pha Thi, was fought as part of a military campaign waged during the Vietnam War and Laotian Civil War by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Pathet Lao, against airmen of the United States Air Force (USAF)'s 1st Combat Evaluation Group, elements of the Royal Lao Army, Royal Thai Border Patrol Police, and the CIA-led Hmong Clandestine Army. The battle was fought on Phou Pha Thi mountain in Houaphanh Province, Laos, on 10 March 1968, and derives its name from the mountaintop where it was fought or from the designation of a 700-foot (210 m) landing strip in the valley below, and was the largest single ground combat loss of USAF members during the Vietnam War.
Pakse International Airport is one of the four international airports in Laos. Pakse is the former southern capital city of the Kingdom of Champasak.
Tai Nüa is one of the Tai ethnicities in South East Asia. They are mostly found in the Yunnan Province of China, Laos,Thailand,Myanmar and Vietnam and some have emigrated to the United States of America. There are however two different groups of Tai people called Tai Nua, one in China and Myanmar(Burma), the other in Laos.
Bouasone Thammaly is a Laotian politician. He is a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He is a representative of the National Assembly of Laos for Houaphanh Province.
Lao Skyway, formerly known as Lao Air, is a private, domestic airline, headquartered at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos. It operates scheduled and charter services to airports in Laos.
Phankham Viphavanh is a Laotian politician, a member of the Politburo and the Executive Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He became the Prime Minister of Laos, who was elected by the National Assembly of Laos in March 2021. He retired in December 2022.
Houaphanh province is a province in eastern Laos. Its capital is Xam Neua.
Luang Namtha is a province of Laos in the country's north. From 1966 to 1976 it formed, together with Bokeo, the province of Houakhong. Luang Namtha province covers an area of 9,325 square kilometres (3,600 sq mi). Its provincial capital is Luang Namtha. The province borders Yunnan, China to the north, Oudomxai province to the east and southeast, Bokeo province to the southwest, and Shan State, Myanmar to the northwest.
The Yang people, also known as the Nhang or Nyang, are a Tai-speaking ethnic group residing in Phongsaly Province, northwestern Laos. According to Chazee (1998), their population was 5,843 people as of 2015. The Yang are heavily influenced by Tai Lue culture, although the Yang of Namo Nua village, Oudomxay province are more heavily influenced by Tai Dam people culture.
Anouvong district is the capital of Xaisomboun Province, located about 230 kilometers north of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The city of Anouvong district is Ban Muang Cha. It is home to Chao Anouvong cave, which is part of Phou Houa Xang Village, as well as the Phou Bia peak tourist site
Attapeu International Airport was an international airport that served Attapeu in Laos. It opened in May 2015 following two years of construction. Lao Airlines provided flights from Vientiane via Pakse three times a week; however, it stopped them in October 2016 because of low passenger demand. The airport was officially closed in 2017. Attapeu Province has a small population (140,000) and does not receive much tourism, which have been cited as factors in the airport's closure. In 2022, the airport was handed over to the Lao People's Liberation Air Force.
Lao Aviation Flight 703 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vientiane to Xam Neua, Laos. On 19 October 2000, the Harbin Y-12 II crashed into a mountain 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the airport due to pilot error. At least eight passengers died, including citizens from Germany, Singapore, and South Africa, while seven passengers and two crew members survived but were injured. The crash was the fourth fatal crash involving the airline in the previous ten years, and the second in four months.
Nathong Airport was a domestic airport that served Xam Neua, the capital of Houaphan Province, Laos. It was closed in mid-2024 upon completion of the larger Nong Khang Airport, 35km to the north.
Lanexang Airways International is a Vientiane–based airline fully owned by Lanexang Airways International Co., Ltd. It provides scheduled air service to 6 destinations in Laos, including Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Bokeo, Xam Neua, Savannakhet and Pakse. The airline's main hub at Wattay International Airport uses a fleet that consists exclusively of the ATR 72. The company slogan is Fascination of Lao.
