MNA increases Singapore flights

YANGON Myanmar National Airlines will add five weekly flights on its Yangon-Singapore route effective 1 December.

It already flies a daily service and the additions will give it 12 flights a week between the two destinations.

According to the airline, the additional flight will operate in the evenings,  Monday to Friday, together with its current daily service to meet travel demand.

MNA launched its first Yangon-Singapore service, 17 August, last year, using a Boeing 737-800.

Currently, airlines serving the route include Myanmar Airways International, Singapore Airlines, Silkair, Tigerair and Jetstar Asia Airways.

The additional five weekly flights coincide with the introduction of visa-free travel  between the two countries effective 1 December.

Under the visa exemption agreement, Myanmar citizens will no longer need to apply for a visa to visit Singapore. They will be able to stay for up to 30 days, visa-free. The agreement is reciprocal.

Myanmar had already signed visa-exemption agreements with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

It leaves only Malaysia without visa-free travel to Myanmar, a country that was a founding member of ASEAN and was last year a top investment partner in Myanmar.

Travel companies in Malaysia and Myanmar have criticised authorities for not moving ahead on the visa-free facility, which would comply with the spirit of ASEAN’s charter on removing travel barriers between members at a time when the group is celebrating its 50th anniversary.