First ATR aircraft flight to Nongkhang airport on Friday 

The first flight from Vientiane to Nongkhang airport in Xamneua district of Huaphan province using an ATR aircraft will be carried out on Friday, authorities have said.
The Department of Civil Aviation had issued a notice on May 5 to suspend the operation of flights on the Vientiane-Xamneua (Nongkhang) route to ensure safety and to comply with recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), especially the Law on Civil Aviation and related regulations.

Nongkhang airport in Xamneua district of Huaphan province.

The Nongkhang airport is still in the process of being registered.
An official told Vientiane Times that a meeting was held to discuss preparations to start flights on the Vientiane-Xamneua route and the temporary handover of the Nongkhang airport project of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport during a ceremony on May 8.
Following these discussions, the authorities set May 12 as the date for the first flight using an ATR aircraft, according to the plan agreed on earlier by the Department of Civil Aviation and the airline company.
The authorities designated May 15 as the date for the official airline flight. The authorities will also carry out an inspection to ascertain the success and the temporary handover of the airport project. This will ensure that the technical guarantee given during the construction is in compliance with the terms of the contract and the law.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will cooperate with stakeholders in Huaphan province, the Lao-Vietnam Cooperation Committee and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Vietnam to prepare for the official handing over of the airport.
Authorities will subsequently announce details regarding regular services on this route after the handing over of the airport, the certification of its safety standards, and approval from the ICAO. They will also ensure that this does not affect the aviation sector of the country.
The flight from Vientiane to Xamneua district of Huaphan province will take an hour, which is much shorter than the 14 hours or more it takes to drive the 597 km between Vientiane and Xamneua.
The airport has been built in accordance with safety standards mandated by the Department of Civil Aviation and those required by the ICAO. These state that the airport should be able to accommodate 70-seat to 100-seat aircraft such as the ATR 72, Fokker 70, MA-60 and Fokker-100, or equivalent.
The runway is 2,400 metres long and 30 metres wide. The Department of Civil Aviation, under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, owns the airport.
The construction of the airport was given the green light in June 2013, when the government, represented by the Department of Civil Aviation, signed a contract with Vietnam’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company (HAGL) that was worth more than US$74 million (about 616 billion kip).
Construction began at the end of 2014 but the contractor had to suspend work in 2015 after encountering financial difficulties. The airstrip was originally scheduled for completion at the end of 2016, but more problems arose and the completion date was postponed numerous times.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update May 10, 2023)