SILKAIR TO LAUNCH FLIGHTS TO VIENTIANE AND LUANG PRABANG

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will launch services to two new destinations, Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos later this year. With the commencement of these new flights, SilkAir, together with its parent airline, Singapore Airlines will effectively fly to all countries within Southeast Asia.[1]

From 31 October 2016, subject to applicable approvals, SilkAir will offer thrice weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights will operate in a circular routing and will depart from Singapore for Vientiane, followed by Luang Prabang, before heading back to Singapore.

Following the launch of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network will increase to 51 destinations in 14 countries, which now include: Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.

The new services will be operated with SilkAir’s Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy class cabins. Customers will be provided with a full service experience, including in-flight meals, in-flight entertainment on SilkAir Studio, baggage allowance of 40kg and 30kg for Business and Economy class respectively, as well as through check-in if they are connecting to or from another SilkAir or Singapore Airlines point via Singapore.

“Southeast Asia has always been an important market for us and with the start of flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang, we will offer travellers connectivity to every country in Southeast Asia. We believe that this new service has great potential, as more travellers turn their interest to Southeast Asia and destinations such as Laos. This new service will also allow Laotians increased connectivity to the rest of the world via Singapore,” said SilkAir Chief Executive, Mr Leslie Thng.

The new service will connect Laos with the joint Singapore Airlines – SilkAir network of over 100 cities worldwide via the Singapore hub.

Flights will be available for booking on a progressive basis through the SilkAir website, call centres and travel agents in the coming weeks.

The detailed schedules are as follows (all times stated are local):

The capital of Laos, Vientiane is characterized by its wide tree-lined boulevards and French styled buildings which have been restored to house numerous eateries and boutique hotels. It is home to Patuxai also known as the victory gate, which is largely reminiscent of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, numerous temples and stupas such as Wat Si Saket and Wat Si Muang.

The northern city of Luang Prabang is known for its mix of traditional Lao and European influenced architecture and the town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kuang Si falls and Pak Ou caves are also some of the famous natural sites around the city. Historical sites such as the Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum and Wat Xieng Thong are also popular tourist attractions.

[1] SilkAir operates chartered flights to Dili, Timor-Leste.