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New Laos-Japan flights expected to boost tourist arrivals

Lao Airlines plans to operate flights from Vientiane and Luang Prabang to Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu, Japan, next March after getting the green light from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.
The Vientiane-Kumamoto sector will serve passengers on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while flights between Luang Prabang and Kumamoto will be scheduled on Mondays and Fridays.   

 A 142-seat Airbus A320 will be used on both sectors, according to Lao Airlines’ marketing staff.
The new routes will be officially announced by Lao Airlines later this month, the company official said.
Lao Airlines is hopeful that the two new flights will help make Laos a travel hub on the Indochina Peninsula.
The city of Kumamoto was chosen as the destination because Lao Airlines was able to acquire takeoff and landing slots that were convenient for connections to other airports in Japan.
The flights will be an added incentive for Japanese tourists to visit Laos and also have the potential to spur trade and investment.
The new routes will be Lao Airlines’ first regular direct flights to Japan. The national flag carrier previously operated charter flights to Japan but these have been discontinued.
Lao Airlines has direct flights to six other Asian countries, namely China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
Foreign airlines that fly into and out of Laos include AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, China Southern, China Eastern, Jin Air, Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Scoot Airlines.
Japan is among the top five trading partners of Laos and ranks as the top donor for infrastructure and social development projects in the country.
The government of Japan has approved millions of dollars in grants to Laos for development initiatives in electricity, health and transport.
Laos and Japan are gaining momentum towards greater economic development cooperation as the relationship between the two governments strengthens.
The value of trade between the two countries increased from US$162 million in 2017 to US$206 million in 2018, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
While the number of Japanese visitors fluctuates, in 2015 the figure was estimated at 43,800 people and rose to about 49,200 in 2016, according to the Tourism Development Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.  
In 2017, the number of Japanese visitors dropped to 32,000 but rose to almost 39,000 in 2018.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update November 4, 2019)


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