Myanmar private airline to launch international flights in April

A Myanmar private airline, Air Bagan, will launch its first international flights beginning April to cover three regional destinations, an official of the airline told a press conference in Yangon Monday.

Using two newly-bought airbus A310-200 aircraft for the first time in Myanmar, the airline will start its flights in the first week of April for routes of Yangon-Mandalay-Kunming-Mandalay- Yangon twice a week, Yangon-Bangkok-Yangon and Yangon-Singapore- Yangon daily, said Tay Za, Chairman of the Air Bagan Ltd.

Tay Za also said that Air Bagan also plans to extend its regular flights to Siem Reap of Cambodia and chartered flights to South Korea and Japan.

One more already-bought Fokker F-100 aircraft will arrive later this month and another 158-seat Airbus A-320 aircraft will be purchased from Singapore in September to reinforce its international flights, he said.

The airline has been flying between Yangon and 17 domestic destinations using one Fokker F-100 aircraft, two France-made ATR- 72 aircraft and three ATR-42 aircrafts.

Inaugurated in November 2004, Air Bagan was the third largest domestic private airline after Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways and the first full private investment airline in Myanmar owned by the Htoo Trading Co Ltd.

According to official statistics, foreign airlines flying Myanmar have reportedly reached 14 including Thai Airways International, Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, Air China, Malaysian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Biman, Jetstar Asia, Phuket Airline and Thai Air Asia.

Source: Xinhua