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Royal Air Lao

1960?-1976

Royal Air Lao became major Lao air carrier through a series of acquisitions of equipment from smaller Lao operators. Air Laos absorbed in 1961-1962. Laos Air Line assets acquired in 1973.


Abbreviations: a/c - aircraft. c/n - construction number. CAT - Civil Air Transport.  lsf - leased from. lst - leased to.  TAA - Trans Australian Airlines. ufo - ultimate fate obscure/current state unknown; w/o - write off (aircraft crashed or damaged beyond repair).

Registration Codes (initial 1 or 2 characters):  B - China. F - France. N - US. VH - Australia. VT - India.  XW - Lao.  Numeric in Remarks is the USAAF serial number.

Blank fields indicate data not known or available; Sources: See source file.
 
 

Boeing 307 Stratoliner

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Boeing 
307B-1
2000
  
Airnautic
F-BELY
Nov
1959
Apr
1970
to Royal Air Lao
lsf Air Laos? owned since 1952 by Air Laos as F-BELY
A75
Boeing 
307B-1
2000
from 
Airnautic
Royal Air Lao
XW-PGR
Apr
1970
Feb
1971
damaged at Luang Prabang
27 Feb 1971; sat derelict for years
sold to Cambodia Air Commercial 1974 or cut up for scrap
A75

Convair 340

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Convair 340-49
194
  
Tri-Nine Corp
    
Oct
1972?
to Royal Air Lao
  
A15,A26, 
A110
Convair 340-49
194
from 
Tri-Nine Corp 
Royal Air Lao
XW-PJZ
Oct
1972?
1974?
ufo
lst Ankor Wat Airlines?
A15,A26, 
A110

Curtiss C-46 Commando

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Curtiss C-46
    
Air America
XW-PHF?
    
to Royal
Air Lao
  
A15
Curtiss C-46
  
from Air America
Royal Air Lao
XW-PHF
  
1975?
to Cambodia
International Airlines
  
A2, A15, A36
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22232
  
Air America
B-870?
    
to Royal 
Air Lao
44-78409
A8, A15
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22232
from Air America
Royal Air Lao
XW-PBV
    
to H. Sebastian y Gomez (Panama) 
(Bay of Pigs? )
lsf Air America
A8, A15
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22561
  
CASI
N1447
  
1971?
to Royal Air Lao
 44-78738
A2
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22561
from CASI
Royal Air Lao
XW-PMF
1971?
  
to Air Union
lsf Royal Air Lao; later to HS-SKD
A4, A75-446
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22598
  
Universal Airlines
N74179
      
44-78775
A15
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
22598
from Universal
Airlines
Royal Air
Lao
XW-PFP
    
to Air Union
  
A4, A15
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
33372
  
Air America
XW-PBW
    
to Royal Air Lao
 44-77976?
A15, A110
Curtiss
C-46D-CU
33372
from Air America
Royal Air Lao
XW-PBW
1968?
  
to Air America?
lsf Air America
A15, A110

Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota - Douglas DC-3

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
 Douglas
C-47
 
  
 Royal Air Lao
 XW-AFI
 
  
 hulk, Bangkok
undated
  
A15
 Douglas
C-47
 
 
Royal Air
Lao
XW-PAD (1)
  
 1961
 w/o Vientiane, Laos 1961
 former B-1407?
A15, A110
Douglas
C-47
    
China Airlines
B-1523
    
to Royal Air Lao
  
A110
Douglas
C-47
  
 from China Airlines
Royal Air Lao
XW-PAR
  
1967 
 w/o
21 Aug 1967
  
A15, A110
Douglas
C-47A-DK
13279
  
Malaysian- Singapore Airlines
9V-BAO
    
to Royal Air Lao
  
A6, A15
Douglas
C-47A-DK
13279
from 
 9V-BAO
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDA
    
to Laos Air 
Charter
  
A6, A15
A110
Douglas
DC-3C
14563
26008
  
Lao Air Lines
XW-TDH
May
1968
1973
absorbed into
Royal Air Lao
43-48747
DC-3C Skyliner
A34, A37, A38, A138
Douglas
DC-3C
14563
26008
from Lao
Air Lines
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDH
1973
  
to N8056
  
A138
Douglas
C-47B-DK
16242
32991
  
Royal Air Lao
XW-PAD(2)
    
 re-registered to XW-TAE
  
A6,
A110
Douglas
C-47A-DL
20213
  
China Airlines
      
to Royal Air Lao
lsf China Airlines
A15,
A110
Douglas
C-47A-DL
20213
from China Airlines
Royal Air Lao
XW-TAH
    
to Air Vientiane? 
A15, A110
Douglas
C-47A-DL
20328
from 
43-15862?
Royal Air Lao
XW-TAF
 Feb 1962
Mar
1976
w/o 24 Mar 1976 storm Vientiane, Laos
 43-15862
A15, A32
Douglas
C-47B-DK
26696
  
Air Laos
XW-PAA?
1955?
 1962?
 re-registered to XW-TAD
 43-49435
A15, A45-26
Douglas
C-47B-DK
26696
from Air Laos
Royal Air Lao
XW-TAD
 1962?
 Feb 1968
w/o 24 Feb 1968 Ban Napa, Laos
 crash in Mekong River nr Luang Prabang, 
34 killed
A15,A45-26
Douglas
C-47B-DK
32991
  
Foshing Air Transport
B-1409
  
1965?
to Royal Air Lao
  
A15, A44
Douglas
C-47B-DK
32991
from Foshing Air Transport
Royal Air Lao
XW-TAE
1965?
  
ufo
  
A15, A44
Douglas
C-47B-DK
16733
33481
  
 New Zealand National Air Carrier
ZK-AZN
Apr
1953
 Jan
1970
to Royal Air Lao
 44-77149. Converted to DC-3C Oct 1953
A15, A137
Douglas
DC-3C
16733
33481
from ZK-AZN
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDR
 Jan 1970
 Mar
1976
w/o 24 Mar 1976 storm Vientiane, Laos
  
A15, A137

Douglas C-50 - Douglas DC-3

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Douglas
C-50-DO
4119
  
Lao Air Lines
XW-TDD
  
1973
absorbed into
Royal Air Lao
impressed 41-7697
A34, A35
Douglas C-50-DO
4119
from Lao
Air Lines
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDD
1973
  
to XW-TFI
to Lang Xang Airlines
A34, A36

Douglas C-54/DC-4

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Douglas 
C-54
    
Royal Air Lao
XW-PAH
1960?
1962+
ufo
Seen at Hong Kong
Oct 1962
A15
Douglas
DC-4
    
Royal Air Lao
XW-PND
  
Mar
1976
 w/o 24 Mar 1976
dbr storm 
Vientiane, Laos
  
 A15, A110
Douglas
DC-4
 
 
Royal Air Lao 
XW-PNF 
 
Mar
1976 
 w/o 24 Mar 1976 
dbr storm 
Vientiane, Laos
 
A15, A110 
Douglas
DC-4/C-54
    
Royal Air Lao
XW-TAC
    
ufo
  
A72
Douglas
C-54A
3098
    
XU-GAH
        
A15
Douglas
C-54A
3098
from XU-GAH
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDE
  
Feb
1972
w/o 11 Feb 1972
Lost near
Savannakhet?
  
A15
Douglas
C-54A-DO
7466
  
Air Siam
HS-VGX
May
1970
Nov
1970?
to Royal Air Lao
42-107447
A141
Douglas
C-54A-DO
7466
from Air Siam
Royal Air Lao
XW-PKH
Nov
1970?
Apr
1975
w/o 10 Apr 1975
destroyed on ground at Phom Penh, Cambodia
A27-75, A110
Douglas
C-54A-DC
10420
    
F-BJHE
        
A15
Douglas
C-54A-DC
10420
from F-BJHE
Royal Air Lao
XW-PNI
    
to Air Afrique
TU-TBQ (Chad)
  
A15, A23
Douglas
C-54B-DC
10529
  
China Airlines
B-1801
    
to Royal Air Lao
lease?
A15
Douglas
C-54B-DC
10529
from
China Airlines
Royal Air Lao
XW-PGE
    
to B-1801
  
A15

Douglas DC-6

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Douglas 
DC-6
43126
  
Lao United Airlines
XW-DKJ
Nov
1968
1969
to XW-TDJ
re-registered
A15, A43,
A139
Douglas
DC-6
43126
from Lao 
United Airlines
Royal Air Lao
XW-PEH
1969
1971
to PENAS
(Indonesia)
lst PENAS Air Cargo
crashed 1 Feb 1972 nr Tegal, Java due to fuel exhaustion
A15, A139
Douglas
DC-6A
45550
  
CAT
  B-1006  Sep
1958		  1968
to Royal Air Lao
Mandarin Flight
A15, A22, A72
Douglas
DC-6A
45550
from CAT
Royal Air Lao
XW-PFZ
  1968
Sep
1973
to Southern Air Transport
to N93459 
A15, A21, A22, A72

Lockheed L188 Electra

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Lockheed
L188A Electra
1061
  
Concare Aircraft
Leasing
N188LA
  
May
1972
to Royal Air Lao
former TAA
VH-TLA
A15, A16
Lockheed
L188A Electra
1061
from
Concare 
Aircraft
Leasing
Royal Air Lao
XW-PKA
May
1972
May
1973
to Concare
Aircraft Leasing
lease
A15, A16
Lockheed
L188A Electra
1069
  
Concare Aircraft
Leasing
N188LB
  
May
1972
to Royal Air Lao
former TAA
VH-TLB
A15, A16
Lockheed
L188A Electra

 
1069
from
Concare 
Aircraft
Leasing
Royal Air Lao
XW-PKB
May
1972
July
1973
to Concare
Aircraft leasing
lease
A15, A16

Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Sud Aviation 
 SE-210 Caravelle 3
83
  
Air France?
F-BKGZ
    
to Royal Air Lao
  
A15
Sud Aviation
SE-210 Caravelle 3
83
from F-BKGZ
Royal Air Lao
XW-PNH
    
to F-BSGH
  
A15, A110

Vickers Viscount

A/C Type
c/n
Origin
Company
Registration
From
To
Fate
Remarks
Source
Vickers Viscount
  
India
India Airline
      
to Royal Air Lao
  
A15
Vickers Viscount
    
Royal Air Lao
XW-PNJ
    
ufo
  
A15
Vickers 
Viscount 768D
294
India
  
VT-DJA
    
to Royal Air Lao
  
A15
Vickers
Viscount 768D
294
from
VT-DJA
Royal Air Lao
XW-TFK
    
to XU-LAM
  
A15
Vickers
Viscount 806
396
  
Lao Air Lines
XW-TDN
  
1973?
Royal Air Lao absorbed
Lao Air Lines in 1973
  
A15
Vickers
Viscount 806
396
from Lao
Air Lines
Royal Air Lao
XW-TDN
    
to Lang Xang Airlines
  
A15

 

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Created June 2003. Updated June 2003
Copyright Thomas E. Lee 2003; All Rights Reserved; This file uses copyright materials. Not for commercial use of any kind. Copyright Air Transport Data Base information used with permission of Alexandre Avrane. See http://aerotransport.fr.st. USAAF/USAF/BuNo Serials used with permission of Joe Baugher. Martin Best information used with permission of Martin Best.