Myanmar airline to open air routes to Cambodia

People's Daily Online -- Myanmar airline to open air routes to Cambodia:
"UPDATED: 11:26, April 20, 2006

The Air Bagan, a Myanmar-based domestic airline, will stretch its wing to Siemreap, Cambodia, as part of its plan to extend its regional destinations, private airline sources said on Thursday.

The Air Bagan, a joint venture (JV) between the Ministry of Transport and the Htoo Company of national entrepreneur, will fly the Yangon-Siemreap-Yangon route and the Yangon-Siemreap-Nyaung U- Yangon route up to twice a week on a charter basis, the sources said without confirming the date on which the flights will start.

The flight to connect Siemreap and Nyaung U is seen as bridging the two main cultural centers in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

The airline will also add destinations to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand in addition to domestic ones, the sources added.

The Air Bagan, inaugurated in November 2004, has been flying between Yangon and 14 domestic destinations including Mandalay, Nyaung U, Heho, Thanthwe, Kengtung, Tachilek, Myeik, Kawthoung, Sittwe and Myitkyina, using one 108-seat Fokker-100 aircraft, two 70-seat ATR-72 aircraft and three 46-seat ATR-42 aircraft.

The Air Bagan stands as the third domestic JV airline after Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways, while the Myanma Airways remains as the state-run domestic air carrier. Of the two prior domestic JV airlines, the Air Mandalay has extended its flight to Thailand's Chiang Mai as a regional one.

Meanwhile, there has also been three Myanmar-foreign JV airlines flying on international routes, namely the Myanmar Airways International (AMI), the United Myanmar Airlines (AMA) and the Air Myanmar.
Source: Xinhua"

I guess this is good news since it provides a direct link for tourists between Bagan and Siem Reap, without having to connect through Bangkok or Yangon.

technorati tags: travel | burma | myanmar | cambodia