Myanmar MAI airline to link Yangon with Siem Reap

via CAAI

January 27, 2011

The Myanmar Airways International ( MAI) will link Myanmar's former capital city of Yangon with Cambodia's ancient city of Siem Reap as part of its flight expansion in the region, all local media reported Thursday.

The MAI will have two flights once a week on Wednesday and Saturday starting Feb. 23.

The direct air link between Myanmar and Cambodia is prompted by the 4th Ayeyawady Chaophraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) summit and 5th CLMV Summit in November last year which was aimed at developing tourism industry in the subregion.

Meanwhile, the MAI will also link Yangon with China's southern city of Guangzhou in March

At present, MAI is having direct flight service linking Yangon with Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Gaya.

The private-run MAI was once a joint venture set up by the state-run Myanmar Airways and a Singapore-based company in 1993.

In 2007, the Region Air of Hong Kong took over the stake from the Singapore's with 49 percent held by it, while the remainder 51 percent possessed by the state-run Myanmar Airways.

In May last year, a giant Myanmar private company group, Kanbawza, took over the MAI for continuous operation under the government's privatization plan, buying up 80 percent stake of the airline with the remainder continued to be held by the government.

There are 13 foreign airlines flying Yangon which comprise Air China, China Southern Airline, Thai Airways International, Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, Malaysian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Mandarin, Jetstar Asia, Phuket Airline, Thai Air Asia and Vietnam Airlines.

Source:Xinhua