Boom in international flights to Myanmar

Newly launched air connections of international carriers to Myanmar’s largest city Yangon have experienced a massive demand over the last months, prompting airliners to step up frequencies and new airlines to emerge.
Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have caused the successive establishment of new air links to Yangon, with five foreign airlines having launched maiden flights to Myanmar lately. Korean Airlines, Qatar Airlines, EVA Air, All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines have all commenced direct flights from their home hubs in almost a single month’s period.
There are more foreign airlines, including Hong Kong-based Dragon Air and TransAsia Airways from Taiwan preparing to fly to Myanmar soon. Silk Air will be operating nine weekly flights from Singapore to Yangon. Germany based Condor Airlines became the first European airline that launched direct flight to Yangon on November 8.
Myanmar’s national carrier, Myanmar Airways International, is reported to launch direct flights between Yangon and Hong Kong before the end of 2012.
Qatar Airways said it was positively surprised by demand on its Doha-Yangon route and will now step up flight frequencies from three weekly flights to daily flights. Demand mainly comes from European travelers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and also Russia. who use Doha as a hub to reach Yangon.
“We did not expect to see such a tremendous demand by travelers. Flights to Yangon are so full that we decided to upgrade our schedule,” says Joe Rajadurai, Country Manager Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar for Qatar Airways.
New private Myanmar airline
A new private airline in Myanmar will also shortly start to operate from Yangon. Shwe Myanmar Airways will launch its maiden flight in Myanmar in January 2013, luring travelers with cheaper air fares. Shwe Myanmar Airways will operate not only domestic but also international flights with so far two Airbus aircraft, the official daily New Light of Myanmar said, without specifying the detailed routes.
Currently, there are six other airlines in Myanmar: state carrier Myanmar Airways plus Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.
More flights to Cambodia
Three international airlines are scheduled to launch direct flights to Cambodia soon, according to a report released on November 7 by Cambodia Airports, the developer and operator of the country’s international airports.
The new airlines are Condor Air of Germany, Qatar Airways and Lao Central Airlines. According to the release, currently 25 airlines are operating through the country’s two international in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports on a scheduled basis, which recorded a total of 1. 26 million international arrivals in the first eight months of 2012, up 18 per cent from 1.07 million arrivals in the same period last year.
ExecuJet expands in Southeast Asia
ExecuJet Aviation Group, an international business aviation company headquartered at Zurich Airport, Switzerland, has said that it is going to expand rapidly in Southeast Asia. The company, which is currently present in 16 locations throughout six regions worldwide – Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East -, with aviation services such as aircraft sales, aircraft management, charter, maintenance, fixed base operations and completions consulting, said it has signed a joint-venture agreement to manage the general aviation terminals at up to 13 airports in Indonesia.
“The signing of this joint-venture agreement is the next step for ExecuJet to establish operations in Indonesia, which we view as an important strategic location for ExecuJet’s Southeast Asia expansion,” said Graeme Duckworth, ExecuJet Asia’s managing director.
The company also said it has expanded its operations at Dubai International Airport to include the former Executive Flight Service terminal, and in the process created the Middle East’s largest fixed base operations facility for VIP flights.
[caption id="attachment_5208" align="alignleft" width="300"] Myanmar Airways is facing increasing competition of international carriers serving its hub in Yangon[/caption] Newly launched air connections of international carriers to Myanmar's largest city Yangon have experienced a massive demand over the last months, prompting airliners to step up frequencies and new airlines to emerge. Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have caused the successive establishment of new air links to Yangon, with five foreign airlines having launched maiden flights to Myanmar lately. Korean Airlines, Qatar Airlines, EVA Air, All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines have all commenced direct flights from their home hubs in...

Newly launched air connections of international carriers to Myanmar’s largest city Yangon have experienced a massive demand over the last months, prompting airliners to step up frequencies and new airlines to emerge.
Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have caused the successive establishment of new air links to Yangon, with five foreign airlines having launched maiden flights to Myanmar lately. Korean Airlines, Qatar Airlines, EVA Air, All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines have all commenced direct flights from their home hubs in almost a single month’s period.
There are more foreign airlines, including Hong Kong-based Dragon Air and TransAsia Airways from Taiwan preparing to fly to Myanmar soon. Silk Air will be operating nine weekly flights from Singapore to Yangon. Germany based Condor Airlines became the first European airline that launched direct flight to Yangon on November 8.
Myanmar’s national carrier, Myanmar Airways International, is reported to launch direct flights between Yangon and Hong Kong before the end of 2012.
Qatar Airways said it was positively surprised by demand on its Doha-Yangon route and will now step up flight frequencies from three weekly flights to daily flights. Demand mainly comes from European travelers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and also Russia. who use Doha as a hub to reach Yangon.
“We did not expect to see such a tremendous demand by travelers. Flights to Yangon are so full that we decided to upgrade our schedule,” says Joe Rajadurai, Country Manager Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar for Qatar Airways.
New private Myanmar airline
A new private airline in Myanmar will also shortly start to operate from Yangon. Shwe Myanmar Airways will launch its maiden flight in Myanmar in January 2013, luring travelers with cheaper air fares. Shwe Myanmar Airways will operate not only domestic but also international flights with so far two Airbus aircraft, the official daily New Light of Myanmar said, without specifying the detailed routes.
Currently, there are six other airlines in Myanmar: state carrier Myanmar Airways plus Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.
More flights to Cambodia
Three international airlines are scheduled to launch direct flights to Cambodia soon, according to a report released on November 7 by Cambodia Airports, the developer and operator of the country’s international airports.
The new airlines are Condor Air of Germany, Qatar Airways and Lao Central Airlines. According to the release, currently 25 airlines are operating through the country’s two international in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports on a scheduled basis, which recorded a total of 1. 26 million international arrivals in the first eight months of 2012, up 18 per cent from 1.07 million arrivals in the same period last year.
ExecuJet expands in Southeast Asia
ExecuJet Aviation Group, an international business aviation company headquartered at Zurich Airport, Switzerland, has said that it is going to expand rapidly in Southeast Asia. The company, which is currently present in 16 locations throughout six regions worldwide – Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East -, with aviation services such as aircraft sales, aircraft management, charter, maintenance, fixed base operations and completions consulting, said it has signed a joint-venture agreement to manage the general aviation terminals at up to 13 airports in Indonesia.
“The signing of this joint-venture agreement is the next step for ExecuJet to establish operations in Indonesia, which we view as an important strategic location for ExecuJet’s Southeast Asia expansion,” said Graeme Duckworth, ExecuJet Asia’s managing director.
The company also said it has expanded its operations at Dubai International Airport to include the former Executive Flight Service terminal, and in the process created the Middle East’s largest fixed base operations facility for VIP flights.