--- iata: VTE name: Wattay International Airport city: Vientiane country: Laos lastUpdated: '2026-09-23' officialWebsite: 'https://wattayairportljats.com.la/' sources: - 'https://wattayairportljats.com.la/' - >- https://www.lca.logcluster.org/lao-peoples-democratic-republic-221-wattay-international-airport - 'https://laoairlines.com/en/check-in-time/' - 'https://laoairlines.com/en/lounge-location/' - 'https://www.dragonpass.com/explore/lounge/A10553/N13263' - 'https://laoevisa.gov.la/' - >- https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/wattay-international-airport-vientiane/ quickFacts: - >- IATA VTE, ICAO VLVT. Civil passenger terminals in Sikhottabong, Vientiane Capital. International terminal operator L-JATS; the airfield is run as Airport of Laos under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. - >- One runway, 13/31, 3,000 m by 45 m, asphalt. Elevation about 564 ft (172 m). Critical type cited for the runway includes the Boeing 747-400. - >- Live campus is an international passenger terminal plus a domestic passenger terminal. The international hall was expanded and the domestic hall built in a project finished in August 2018. - >- Logcluster records 2,336,621 passengers and 28,433 aircraft movements in 2023. That is the latest airport-level total found. Do not use the national 2024 air-passenger series as Wattay. - >- Lao Airlines is the home carrier. The L-JATS board also shows Thai, Chinese, and other regional flights; the day's list is not a fixed network. - >- No metro and no airport railway. Uber and Grab do not operate in Laos. The local ride-hail app in Vientiane is LOCA. bentoTips: - label: Check-in title: Lao Airlines closes international check-in 60 minutes out detail: >- International online check-in was marked temporarily disabled on that page. Domestic online check-in is listed from 24 hours until 1 hour before departure, with several exclusions (infants, special assistance, unaccompanied minors, groups over nine on one record). summary: >- On Lao Airlines' own page, airport counters open 2 hours 30 minutes before departure. International counters close 60 minutes before departure and domestic counters close 40 minutes before. The same page also says international documents should be at the counter at least 50 minutes prior, so do not aim for the closing minute. category: timing - label: Two halls title: International and domestic are separate buildings summary: >- Logcluster, citing the 2022 JICA survey, places the international terminal on the west side of the domestic building. They are not one shared concourse. A connection between them is not a published airside walkway. category: terminal - label: Lounge title: The named lounge is airside in the international terminal summary: >- DragonPass lists the Vientiane Airport VIP Lounge after security and immigration, about 50 metres to the left, open 06:30–21:30. Priority Pass has no Laos lounge page. A walk-in price is not on the operator site. category: food - label: Entry title: Sort the visa before you budget the queue summary: >- The official e-visa site is laoevisa.gov.la. Visa on arrival is handled at Wattay for many passports, and the fee is nationality-specific rather than a single figure on the terminal site. Bring the documents that site asks for instead of a blog dollar amount. category: status lounges: - name: Vientiane Airport VIP Lounge zone: international hours: '06:30-21:30' access: - DragonPass - Business class - Champa Muang Lao Gold status bestFor: - DragonPass holders - Lao Airlines business class and Champa Muang Lao Gold summary: >- A real airside lounge with food and a DragonPass listing, useful on a long regional connection, and not a Priority Pass lounge. verdict: depends terminal: International terminal amenities: - Hot and cold food - Snacks - Alcoholic drinks - Showers listed - Wi-Fi - Flight monitors waterOptions: [] airportistScore: 6.2 slug: vte region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/vte](/airports/vte). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/vte) - [Lounge directory](/airports/vte/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Wattay International Airport (VTE) Vientiane, Laos · Asia-Pacific Laos's main international airport is a compact two-terminal field in Sikhottabong, a short ride from Vientiane, with a DragonPass lounge and no rail link. ## Airportist Score **6.2 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.8 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 5.2 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 6.6 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.0 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.0 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 2,336,621 (2023) - Terminals: 2 - Typical security: 12 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Lao Airlines connections - Short regional hops - A small capital airport ## Watch out for - Visa desk if you still need a visa - International check-in closes 60 minutes out on Lao Airlines - No airport rail, and Uber and Grab do not run here ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/vte/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/vte/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/vte/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/vte/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/vte/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/vte/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/vte/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/vte/reviews.md) (free)