Airports: Laos
The METAR and TAF decoder database holds 19 airports in Laos. 16 of them have an IATA code and every one has an ICAO code, which in this country starts with VL. For every airport on the list below the site shows the current METAR and the TAF forecast decoded into plain English, together with a map, runway data and a clock in the airport's local time.
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All airports in Laos
- Attopeu Airport VLAP
- Ban Huoeisay Airport (Huay Xai) VLHS
- Bokeo International Airport (Ton Phueng) VLBK
- Boun Neau Airport (Phongsaly) VLFL
- Luang Namtha Airport VLLN
- Luang Phabang International Airport VLLB
- Nongkhang airport VLNK
- Oudomsay Airport VLOS
- Pakse International Airport VLPS
- Phonesavanh Airport VLPV
- Salavan Airport VLSV
- Sam Neua Airport VLSN
- Savannakhet Airport VLSK
- Sayaboury Airport (Sainyabuli) VLSB
- Sepon Airport VLSP
- Thakhek Airport VLTK
- Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) VLVT
- Xieng Khouang Airport VLXK
- Xienglom Airport VLXL
Largest airports in Laos
The most significant airports in the database for this country are Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) (VLVT/VTE), Luang Phabang International Airport (VLLB/LPQ), Pakse International Airport (VLPS/PKZ), Bokeo International Airport (Ton Phueng) (VLBK/BOR) and Savannakhet Airport (VLSK/ZVK).
Weather reports identify an airport by its four-letter ICAO code, not by the IATA code - which is why the METAR for VLVT is available even for airports with no ticketing code. The airports of Laos are spread across 14 municipalities listed in the database.
Airports by classification
How the airports break down: small airports and airfields - 13; medium-sized airports - 3; large airports - 3.
The classification comes from OurAirports and describes the size of the infrastructure, not passenger traffic. Regular METAR and TAF reports come mostly from the larger airports; small airfields often publish none at all - in that case the nearest reporting station is listed in the "nearby airports" section of the airport page.
Geographic span and time zones
The northernmost airport in the database is Boun Neau Airport (Phongsaly) (VLFL/PCQ) (21°39'N), the southernmost is Attopeu Airport (VLAP/AOU) (14°48'N). East to west the extremes are Attopeu Airport (VLAP/AOU) (107°03'E) and Bokeo International Airport (Ton Phueng) (VLBK/BOR) (100°10'E).
The highest airport is Phonesavanh Airport (VLPV) at 3,628 ft / 1,106 m above sea level, the lowest is Attopeu Airport (VLAP/AOU) (344 ft / 105 m). Elevation matters when reading a report: METAR cloud bases are given above aerodrome level, not above mean sea level.
The airports here sit in 2 time zones: Asia/Bangkok and Asia/Vientiane. METAR and TAF are always issued in UTC (the "Z" suffix), which is why every airport page runs a clock in the airport's own local time next to the report.
METAR and TAF for airports in Laos
Each airport page shows the raw METAR plus a full decode: flight category (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR), wind direction and speed with gusts, visibility, weather phenomena, cloud layers with their bases, temperature, dew point and QNH pressure. The TAF forecast is split into its validity periods including the change groups (BECMG, TEMPO, PROB).
METAR is normally issued every 30 or 60 minutes and TAF four times a day, with extra amendments when conditions change. The data comes from the Aviation Weather Center (NOAA) and is fetched live on every visit.