The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), also called the Chinese Air Force or PLA Air Force, is the People’s Liberation Army’s primary aerial warfare service. It controls most of the military’s air assets, including tactical aircraft, large airlifters and strategic bombers. It also includes ground-based air-defense assets and controls the Airborne Corps.

The PLAAF is relevant to assessments of the Ban Keun airfield in Laos because analysts have considered whether the facility could support Chinese air-force operations. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that the site is not yet equipped to enable major combat operations by the PLAAF, but said its location could provide alternate routes to disputed areas of the South China Sea and strategic air routes around Vietnam.