Laos

Overcoming barriers, transforming lives,
and building national capacity

NOTICE: PACTEC to Offer Flight Training in Laos

July 11, 2011 – PACTEC International will offer flight training in Laos, beginning with a one-year pre-training course that commences in September 2011. The comprehensive flight training program will officially begin in the fall of 2012.

A “Memorandum of Understanding” was recently signed by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving PACTEC official permission to move forward with plan for the pilot training program.

This follows seven years of PACTEC work in Laos, where staff currently teach aviation English to some 50 students per year, preparing them to meet the English standards required for pilots by the International Civil Aviation Organization (IACO). Currently, aviation training is not available in Laos, and pilot candidates must travel to China, New Zealand, France, Thailand, or another country for instruction.

To inquire about pilot training, contact pactecinfo@pactec.net.

PACTEC assist in the development of aviation safety in Laos by teaching aviation English.

Laos is a landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, with formidable mountain peaks and dense jungle forests. It is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, with an inadequate infrastructure and a largely unskilled workforce.  Public transportation is substandard or nonexistent, and safety standards are low. Travel within Laos by road, river or air, presents risks. And the demand for safe, reliable air service is steadily increasing as private aid organizations and businesses are being established to work in remote areas.

In 2003, the Lao Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) asked PACTEC to provide aviation English instruction at the Lao Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC). Currently, PACTEC personnel teach some 1,000 classroom hours per year, while pursuing the possibility of offering a flight training program.