- Myanmar Airways International
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Myanmar Airways International 
IATA
8MICAO
MMACallsign
MYANMARFounded 1946 Hubs Yangon International Airport Frequent-flyer program Sky Mile Fleet size 5 Destinations 8 Company slogan Modern Comforts, Gentle Traditions Parent company Myanma Airways Headquarters Yangon, Myanmar Key people Maung Maung Ohn (Chairman)
Sithu (CEO)Website www.maiair.com Myanmar Airways International Co., Ltd. (Burmese: အပြည်ပြည်ဆိုင်ရာ မြန်မာ့လေကြောင်း) is the international airline of Myanmar, headquartered in Yangon.[1] It operates scheduled international services to destinations mainly in Southeast Asia. Its main base is Yangon International Airport.[2]
Contents
History
The airline was founded by the government before independence in 1946 as Union of Burma Airways. It initially operated domestic services. International services were added in 1950. The name was changed to Burma Airways in December 1972, and to Myanma Airways on April 1, 1989, following the renaming of the country from Burma to Myanmar. International services were transferred to Myanmar Airways International, set up in 1993.[2]
An MAI Boeing 737-300 at the Changi Airport (2002)
Myanmar Airways International (MAI) took off in August 1993, initially created as a joint venture between Myanma Airways and Singapore-based Highsonic Enterprises, with the support of Royal Brunei Airlines. It boasted a Singapore management team (many ex-Singapore Airlines staff), new Boeing aircraft, all-expatriate cockpit crews, improved training for flight attendants and new UK Civil Aviation Authority operating standards. Eventually, the original joint venture was terminated and MAI became a wholly owned Myanmar company. In January 2001, a new joint venture was formed in which Region Air Myanmar (HK) Ltd., took a 49% stake and a local businessman through his company Zan Co. took a 11% share and Myanma Airways retained 40%.[citation needed]
In 2001, a new corporate identity and aircraft livery were rolled out and the company completed its first major cabin-crew-upgrading program. In 2002, the airline obtained new International Air Transport Association (IATA) airline designator codes and joined both the IATA Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreement (MITA) and IATA Clearing House. The airline sent 122 employees on training courses at Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines training centers. In 2003, MAI launched a code-share agreement with Thai Airways International on the Bangkok-Yangon-Bangkok route. The company also has code-sharing with Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Jetstar Asia Airways. In 2004, the airline took delivery of new uniforms for ground staff and recruited a further 16 new cabin-crew trainees.
In February 2007, the foreign management team under Region Air Myanmar (HK) Ltd. transferred its control to Myanma Airways.
Having revived from the tighter US sanctions on Myanmar, MAI is now operating as normal with its own aircraft and plans to expand flight frequency, fleet as well as new routes are underway.
Destinations
Myanmar Airways International serves the following destinations (as of March 2011): [3] [4] [5] [6]
- Cambodia
- China
- India
- Gaya - Gaya Airport [seasonal]
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Yangon - Yangon International Airport Main Hub
- Singapore
- Thailand
Myanmar Airways International has codeshare agreements with:[3]
- Jetstar Asia
- Malaysia Airlines
- Thai Airways International
Fleet
The Myanmar Airways International fleet comprises the following aircraft (as of March 2011) [3]:
Myanmar Airways International Fleet Aircraft In Fleet Orders Options Notes Airbus A320-200 4 0 0 Airbus A321-200 1 0 0 Delivered 26 October Total 5 0 0 See Also
References
- ^ "Offices Address." Myanmar Airways International. Retrieved on 10 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 53. 2007-04-10.
- ^ a b Myanmar Airways International Route Map
- ^ Myanmar Airways International Flight Schedule
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
External links
Categories:- Airlines of Burma
- Government-owned airlines
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