Wattay International Airport (IATA: VTE, ICAO: VLVT) is one of the few international airports in Laos and the country's main international gateway, serving the capital Vientiane, located 3 km (2 mi) outside of the city centre in Sikhodtabong District, Vientiane Prefecture.^[1] The airport is operated by the Lao Airport Authority (LAA) and serves as a hub for Lao Skyway, Lao Central Airlines and Lao Airlines. The Lao Air Force also operates an installation at one end of the airport.

Quick Facts Wattay International Airport ສະໜາມບິນສາກົນວັດໄຕ, Summary ...

Wattay International Airport ສະໜາມບິນສາກົນວັດໄຕ
IATA: VTE ICAO: VLVT
Summary
Airport type	Military/Public/Civil Aviation Authority
Operator	Military of Laos
Serves	Vientiane, Laos
Location	Sikhottabong
Opened	1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Hub for	Lao Airlines Lao Skyway
Elevation AMSL	564 ft / 172 m
Coordinates	17°59′18″N 102°33′48″E
Map
VTE Location of airport in Laos
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 13/31 9,843 3,000 Asphalt
Statistics (2012)
Passenger movements ? Airfreight movements in tonnes ? Aircraft movements ?

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The head offices of the Department of Civil Aviation and Lao Air are on the airport property.^[2][3] Lao Airlines is revising flying to Yangon. The largest airplane that has ever visited this airport is the Boeing 747-400, carrying Park Geun-hye – then-president of South Korea – for the 2016 ASEAN summit.

Wattay International Airport began operations in 1999. Using grant money from the Japanese government, the airport renovated its international terminal in 2005. The airport opened in June 2011 a cargo terminal which was constructed from July 2010 to April 2011. The cargo terminal was designed by the Azusa Sekkei Company, and built by the Lao-Japan Airport Terminal Building Service with ₭9.6 billion of funding from the Bank of Japan.^[4]

In July 2011, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport initiated a new expansion project in association with China CAMC Engineering Company. The project saw the expansion of the single asphalt runway by 260 meters to its current 3,000 length; development of parking lots; renovation of its road and drainage system; expansion of two aprons to accommodate larger aircraft; and the construction of new offices for the LAA and Lao Civil Aviation Department. Japan provided ¥1.9 billion in funding to the project through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, making up 2 thirds of the total cost of ₭302 billion. The project began in December 2011 and was completed in November 2012. In February 2012, $3 million was provided by the Bouathip Lao Company to expand the domestic terminal.^[4]

In December 2015, the airport launched another expansion project, which took until August 2018 to be completed.^[5] The project saw the expansion of the international terminal, the construction of a new domestic terminal, and the improvement of several facilities. The project was again funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency under a January 2014 loan, contributing ¥9 billion.^[4]

The airport has a bonded warehouse building for air cargo passing through the airport. The facility is operated by Lao-Japan Airport Terminal Building Service Co. Ltd.

Access to airport by shuttle bus, taxi, car, tuk-tuk and walking. The shuttle bus stop is located outside the international terminal.