According to Sayacinta Airpost:
Lao Central Airlines, formerly known as Phongsavanh Airlines, plans to resume commercial flights by mid-2015 using four Sukhoi SuperJet SSJ 100 aircraft after restructuring as an independent unit of Phongsavanh Bank. This was revealed to Sayacinta - Airpost during the most recent media visit to the airline Head Office in Vientiane.
Lao Central Airlines has reached the deal with Sukhoi SuperJet in September 2014 to pay for the three SSJ 100 aircraft it has ordered to replace the two grounded Boeing B737-400 aircraft. It plans to resume flights to Bangkok and Luang Prabang as a boutique service carrier in order to compete on an equal level footing with Bangkok Airways and Lao Airlines, once sufficient funds are raised by the airline.
Lao Central Airlines plans to launch flights to Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Naypyidaw, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong and Kunming from Vientiane with 4 SSJ 100 jets, one of which is grounded in Wattay International Airport.
Most of the planned destinations are not served by Lao Airlines.
Meanwhile, Lao Central Airlines' airport office in Vientiane remains closed as the necessary manpower have yet to be recalled to resume sales, ticketing and operations.
Lao Central Airlines' Head Office, the counter of which is still in the former name of Phongsavanh Airlines Public, is open from Mondays to Saturdays. Timetable brochures of the airline before it went under restructuring and a severely limited stock of its Lao-language official inflight magazine, Lao Central Airlines, that were printed in 2012 were available when Sayacinta - Airpost visited the office on 13 December.
Lao Central Airlines first cancelled flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi on Christmas 2013 due to the political crisis in Bangkok and in July 2014 suspended flights to Luang Prabang for restructuring.
Source: Sayacinta Airpost
