Yangon Air looks at Chiang Mai

BANGKOK : Yangon Airways, a domestic airline in Myanmar, will expand to offer regional services by 2017.
The airline’s marketing manager, Khin Nyein Thu, told TTR Weekly at TTM, last week, that the airline is planning services to Thailand, China and Singapore over two years.
“As we are serving solely domestic destinations, there is a plan to open routes to Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Phuket, China’s Kunming, and Singapore.”
“Chiang Mai and Phuket are the two priorities in Thailand that we are considering, while Bangkok is too competitive,” she said.
Asian Wings Airways, another Myanmar-based airline, started a service from Mandalay to Chiang Mai earlier this year, but was forced to suspend it due to low sales and the need to put one of its two ATR722-500s through a technical check.
But Yangon Airways hopes to tap tour operators, more than direct business from travellers. At TTM it talked to overseas tour buyers who want to offer trips to North Thailand that connect with trips to Myanmar. A service would cut out the need to backtrack to Bangkok with added fare costs.
“We will focus on B2B clients, not B2C, so our appointments at TTM helped us to gain understanding and background that will help us decide on future routes that will fit business partners.”
Yangon Airways offers scheduled and chartered domestic flights from Yangon. It suspended services in December 2010 and made a comeback in 16 October 2011.
It has three ATR 72-500s operating domestic services.
Yangon Airways was established in October 1996 as a domestic airline in a joint venture between Myanma Airways, the state-owned national airline and Krong-Sombat company in Thailand.
In October 1997, MHE-Mayflower Company acquired Krong-Sombat’s shares in Yangon Airways and after a bumpy start managed to establish flights to 13 prime commercial and tourist destinations in Myanmar.
The airline operates flights to Nyaung U, Mandalay, Heho, Tachilek, Kyaing Tong, Lashio, Myitkyina, Bhamo, Thandwe, Dawei, Myeik, Kawthaung, and Sittwe.

Sourced: ttrweekly