Vientiane (VNA) – A cooperation agreement on airline ticket payments via UNITEL services was signed on January 13 in Vientiane, Laos between Star Fintech, a member of Star Telecom (Unitel) – a Viettel joint venture in Laos, and Lao Airlines, the national carrier of Laos.
Under the agreement, payments for Lao Airlines tickets will be made through the Umoney e-wallet provided by Star Fintech. The partnership marks an important step forward in Laos’ aviation digital transformation roadmap, while helping remove long-standing monopolistic barriers in the country’s airline payment system.
According to the deal, Umoney will deliver a fully integrated payment gateway solution on Lao Airlines’ official mobile application and website. A key breakthrough lies in the introduction of an intermediary payment aggregator model. For the first time in Laos, customers will not only be able to pay using the Umoney e-wallet but also use accounts from other partner banks to seamlessly purchase airline tickets online.
The cooperation is widely seen as a strategic move to comprehensively address bottlenecks in aviation payments. Previously, online ticket purchases for Lao Airlines relied almost entirely on the payment gateway of Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao (BCEL) or international credit cards, creating significant obstacles for customers using other banking systems. With Umoney’s solution, equal access to services has been established, offering greater convenience without requiring users to switch banks or own international credit cards.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ha Chien Thang, Director of Star Fintech, said the partnership helps realise Umoney’s goal of promoting inclusive digital finance, with the aspiration of becoming a “financial companion” for every passenger. The cooperation aims to make ticket booking safer, faster and more convenient, enabling users to pay for their journeys anytime and anywhere using Umoney or linked bank accounts.
In 2025, Umoney recorded several major milestones, including becoming the first e-wallet to successfully connect with Laos’ national payment network (LAPNet) and launching online savings services. The partnership with Lao Airlines is part of Umoney’s broader brand repositioning strategy, reinforcing its position as the e-wallet with the largest market share and widest coverage in Laos, particularly in rural and remote areas.
For its part, Lao Airlines is currently the largest and only airline in Laos, operating an extensive network of domestic and international routes. The integration of Umoney’s payment gateway is expected to enhance customer experience, shorten booking times and significantly reduce pressure on the airline’s traditional ticketing system./.
VNA
