Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) delivered the first C909 aircraft to Lao Airlines on March 30th, 2025. This is the first time for a China-made passenger jet to enter the Lao market.
This C909 aircraft has a registration number of RDPL-34229 and a 90-seat all-economy class layout. The interior and exterior identifications and placards are in Laotian, the exterior painting is custom designed and the tail is printed with Champa flower, the national flower of Laos.
It was delivered to Lao Airlines on a lease basis and will enter route operation after a series of preparatory work is completed in Laos.
C909 aircraft is a turbofan regional jet independently developed by China. It has a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers and is capable of operating on most domestic routes in Laos and surrounding international routes. C909 aircraft performs well in high temperatures and can take off and land on short and narrow runways.
A total of 162 C909 aircraft have been delivered, which have served in 645 routes in 158 cities and carried more than 20 million passengers.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Laos issued an Aircraft Type Acceptance Certificate (ATC) for the C909 aircraft to COMAC on March 18th, 2025, indicating that the aircraft has met the basic conditions for commercial operation in Laos.
COMAC has set up a special team to assist Lao Airlines with preparatory tasks, including manual preparation, personnel training, aviation material support and maintenance capacity building. COMAC has also dispatched a support team of professionals from the flight, cabin crew, operation control, maintenance and other areas.
At present, Lao Airlines is expanding its capacity and renewing its fleet. Leasing the C909 aircraft will help the airline supplement its capacity and upgrade its fleet to meet the growing development needs of the air travel market in Laos.
