Myanmar private airline spreads wings to BKK

[Pieter C. 5]

Myanmar Private Airline Spreads Wings To Bangkok

 

May 15, 2007

Air Bagan, one of three private airlines in military-ruled Myanmar, flew its maiden international flight to Bangkok on Tuesday.

 

The airline, which will use two Airbus A310s bought from China last year on the daily flight between Yangon and Bangkok, planned to buy two A320s to expand its international flights, an airline official said.

 

It planned to fly to Kunming in China, Singapore, Incheon in South Korea, Siam Reap, gateway to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temples, Chennai in India and Dhaka, she said.

 

Air Bagan was established in 2004 and it has been flying between Yangon and 17 Myanmar cities using one Fokker F-100, two French ATR-72s and three ATR-42s.

 

It is the second private airline in Myanmar to fly abroad. Air Mandalay flies to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The third, Air Yangon, flies domestic routes.

 

(Reuters)