Lao Airlines, the state-owned airline of Laos, is in the process of incorporating the C909 regional jet manufactured by China’s COMAC, a company spokesperson confirmed to Reuters. With this move, Laos joins a growing list of Southeast Asian countries exploring or advancing the adoption of Chinese-built commercial aircraft.
Photos shared on social media by Lao Airlines employees showed staff participating this week in a training program at COMAC’s Customer Training Center in Shanghai. According to Reuters, the Vientiane-based carrier expects to receive its first C909 by the end of March.
In addition to airline staff, social media posts also indicate that representatives from Laos’s civil aviation authority took part in training sessions earlier this month. However, neither the Department of Civil Aviation of Laos (DCAL) nor COMAC responded to Reuters’ requests for comment regarding the aircraft's certification process in the country.
The airline also posted a teaser video on its Facebook page, hinting at an upcoming announcement that “marks the beginning of a new era.” While the post provides few details, the video clearly shows the silhouette of a C909, along with the aircraft’s branding.
Laos already operates Xian MA60 turboprops, also of Chinese origin, and according to Reuters, a 2010 memorandum between Chinese and Laotian aviation authorities allows Laos to recognize aircraft design certifications issued by Beijing. This agreement could ease the introduction of the C909 without requiring additional validation.
Lao Airlines’ fleet currently includes four ATR 72-500s, three ATR 72-700s, and five A320s, which it uses to serve a network of five destinations in Vietnam, seven in China, two in Thailand, and Seoul in South Korea.
Indonesia is currently the only country outside China operating the C909, through TransNusa Airlines. In 2023, Brunei-based startup GallopAir placed an order for 15 C909s and 15 C919s, marking the first international order for COMAC’s single-aisle aircraft. However, Brunei has not yet authorized these aircraft for operation.
Regional interest in Chinese-manufactured aircraft is rising in parallel with COMAC’s progress on models like the C909 and C919, in a market long dominated by Western manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing.
Data from Cirium Fleet Analyzer, compiled by Aviacionline, shows that there are currently 151 COMAC C909s operating scheduled passenger flights. Air China and China Southern lead with 34 aircraft each, followed by Chengdu Airlines with 31, China Eastern with 26, China Express with 11, Genghis Khan Airlines with 7, Jiangxi Air with 5, and TransNusa with 3.
As for the C919, only 16 units are currently in service: 10 with China Eastern, 3 with Air China, and 3 with China Southern.
AUTOR
Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline.
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