New runway of Luang Prabang Airport has been suspended to open on October this year because other facilities and information have not yet been ready to use, said Head of Construction of Luang Prabang Airport Project, Mr. Sackda Soulisack.

The new runway with a total length of 2,900 m and 45 m wide, amounting to US$ 86 million has been normally determined to use last month. The improvement project of Luang Prabang Airport with two phases of construction work, the first phase is the runway construction and installation of aviation control system. The second one is the construction of passenger building will be set to be run out before mid-August 2014.

Now, the construction work has been reportedly completed by 63 per cent after the official construction kicked off in April 2010, of which the 2,700 m runway, the installation of airplane controller (100 per cent complete) and construction of fence (80 per cent complete). After the new runway opening on 20 October, the new passenger building will be built in the old runway.

He added that the construction of passenger building will be planned to finish in the middle of 2013.

Presently, the Luang Prabang Airport serves seven flights per day.

The five airports in the Lao PDR including Wattay International Airport, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Pakse, and Luang Namtha can bear the state-of-art airplanes and airbus.

The Civil Aviation Department is conducting a study for improving and constructing airports in the northern part such as Xiengkhouang, Houaphanh and Bokeo provinces.