For an international airport,Wattay is surprisingly central,just three kilometres west of the CBD.Credit:Alamy
THE FLIGHT
Thai Smile Airways WE 575 from Vientiane,Laos to Bangkok,Thailand.
THE ARRIVAL
We catch a cab from Vientiane's new,Chinese-funded high-speed railway station on the city's northern fringes. The 17-kilometre journey through heavy traffic still only takes less than an hour,including a brief stopover to see the Patuxai"Victory Gate"war monument that resembles Paris'Arc de Triomphe. For an international airport,Wattay is surprisingly central,just three kilometres west of the CBD. The commute from a city hotel should be easy. In fact,you could almost walk it.
THE LOOK
Renovations that included expanding the international terminal and improving parking facilities and access roads were completed in 2018. International and domestic terminals are next to each other. Access to the departure gates is up an escalator to the top floor. There's still only one runway,though that's perfectly adequate for the few airlines that operate here.
CHECK IN
My family and I arrive three hours before our scheduled departure time,as per normal for international flights. But we're way too early and are forced to wait around for another hour before check-in desks open. International flights are yet to resume fully,thanks to the pandemic disruptions these past few years and ours is the only flight listed on the departure board,which means every non-employee at the airport is here for the same flight as us. And like us,many others arrive early so that when the desk opens,there's a rush to line up.
SECURITY