Wattay International Airport (Source: internet) Vientiane (VNA) – The Wattay International Airport in the Lao capital of Vientiane is now able to accommodate as many as 2.3 million foreign travellers a year, roughly nine times the original terminal’s capacity, according to the Nikkei Asian Review’s edition published on August 10.
Japanese construction company Hazama Ando, which managed the expansion project at the airport, officially passed the terminal over the Lao Airports Authority on August 9.
The same day, Japanese aviation services provider Jalux and trading house Toyota Tsusho agreed to a 10-year extension of their management of the terminal in a joint venture with local concerns.
Laos is keen to become a travel destination and the expanded terminal plays a key role.
The Lao government expects the number of people arriving in the country on international flights to reach 1.51 million in 2023.
The expansion project helped double the size of the airport’s international terminal to 25,000 square meters. A new two-storey domestic terminal will be built on 7,000 square meters.
The airport upgrading projects cost roughly 9.7 billion JPY (87.4 million USD), with some 9 billion JPY of that covered by a yen loan backed by the Japanese government.-VNA
VNA
