Luang Prabang International Airport will be enlarged to cope with the increasing number of tourists.     --Photo Ministry of Public Works and Transport

Bidders submit proposals for Luang Prabang airport upgrade

Three pre-qualified bidders have submitted proposals to carry out the upgrade and expansion of Luang Prabang International Airport under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced last week.
The bids were received through an open tender process following the shortlisting of four pre-qualified bidders and publication of the Request for Proposals last year.
The three bidders, listed in alphabetical order, are Korean Airports Corporation from the Republic of Korea, Limak from Türkiye, and Yunnan Infrastructure Investment Company Ltd. Consortium from China.
The bid submission and opening process is being overseen by the Lao Bid Evaluation Committee, chaired by the Director General of the Civil Aviation Department, Mr Viengxay Singkham.
The committee comprises officials from the Department of Planning and Finance and Airports under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Luang Prabang Department of Public Works and Transport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Investment Promotion and Management Committee Office.
Speaking on behalf of the Bid Evaluation Committee, Deputy Director General of the transport ministry’s Department of Planning and Finance, Mr Vannasone K. Thepvongsa, said the landmark PPP initiative will involve significant private sector investment for the modernisation and enlargement of Luang Prabang International Airport.
The 30-year PPP project will enhance the airport’s capacity and service standards, ensuring it can fully support the growth potential of Luang Prabang as a UNESCO World Heritage site, he added.
The project is also expected to generate long-term value for the nation through a shared revenue scheme, allowing the government and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to participate directly in the airport’s growth while supporting fiscal sustainability and national development priorities.
The ministry will now proceed with a detailed evaluation of the submitted bids in accordance with requirements outlined in the Request for Proposals. The contract will be awarded to the legally and technically compliant bidder offering the highest gross revenue share to the Lao government.
The Luang Prabang International Airport PPP is a priority project of the government aimed at upgrading airport facilities and services while improving connectivity for travellers, businesses and local communities in the country’s leading tourism destination. It will be the first air transport project in Laos to be developed under a PPP framework.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is serving as the lead PPP transaction advisor to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport for the design and tendering of the project.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update February 16, 2026)