Due to upgrades to the airstrip and apron at Oudomxay Airport, travelers looking to visit the Northern province will be detoured to the airports in Luang Namtha or Luang Prabang province.
The temporary delay will be in effect from July 1 thru to October 1, and should not cause too much disruption to travelers heading North, as Lao Airlines will be increasing flights to the two substitute airports in Luang Namtha and Luang Prabang.
The interruption to operations at Oudomxay Airport was announced by the Lao Airports Authority (LAA) under the Civil Aviation Department of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport earlier in the week.
Director General of Lao Airports Authority (LAA), Mr Somboun Daosavanh revealed that the upgrade was necessary to patch damaged surfacing both on the runway and the apron, that serves as a maneuvering and parking area for aircrafts. “Last year, a summer storm hit the province, causing direct impact to the runway surface due to the rainwater,” he said.
Mr Somboun also stated that the Oudomxay Airport had undergone upgrades as recent as 2014, which included improvements to the runway, a new terminal and other essential facilities. However, due to low quality infrastructural work, additional repairs are necessary.
The government has allocated over 500 million kip to completely resurface the runway as part of ongoing improvements.
Officials speculate that the improvement of the runway at Oudomxay Airport should help address any concerns by authorities and airlines and ensure the safety of passengers.
Meanwhile, travelers looking to reach Oudomxay province, can take a flight directly to the Luang Prabang or Luang Namtha airport, and continue on to Oudomxay either by bus or by car.
