Myanmar Airways Intl

One of the few airlines in Myanmar that offer both domestic and international flights is Myanmar Airways International. Popular routes carry passengers between various destinations in South East Asia and Myanmar. Most flights arrive and depart from Yangon International Airport and Mandalay Airport. The essentials of Myanmar Airways International are discussed below.

Myanmar International Airways was set up in 1993 from its parent company, Myanmar National Airlines when it began to operate international flights. The headquarters of the company is in Yangon where most of the flights depart from. The current fleet size is four aircraft consisting of three Airbus A319-100’s and one Airbus A320-214.

Both domestic and international flights around Southeast Asia operate to and from Yangon and Mandalay. Most international flights are from Yangon whereas those in Mandalay only serve Bangkok at the moment.

Myanmar International Airways links Yangon and Mandalay to a number of destinations in South East Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, and India.

The airline also has domestic routes that travel between Yangon, Nyaung U (Bagan), Mandalay, Heho (Inle Lake), and Naypyidaw.

Popular international routes

Yangon to Bangkok – daily flights with a duration of 1 hour and 20 minutes for USD230 one way
Yangon to Kuala Lumpur is curently one of the longest flights offered by the company (2 hours 45 minutes).
Mandalay to Bangkok flight lasts just under two hours and pricewise is similar to Bangkok Air’s offers (USD180) but twice as expensive compared to AirAsia air tickets.

Popular domestic routes

Yangon to Mandalay – 1 hour 25 minutes; from USD180
Nyaung U (Bagan) to Mandalay
Yangon to Heho (Inle Lake) – 1 hour 10 minutes; from USD180

All the flight routes are listed on the official website of the company but it is currently impossible to buy the ticket directly. The price and duration may be also inconsistent and difficult to find due to an unresponsive and difficult to use website.

Taking into consideration the distance and duration of flights, you may also find ticket prices that seem very expensive. It is indeed a common issue with Burmese airlines as without solid competition within the country and a lion’s share of the ticket price flowing directly into governmental pockets the air travel in Myanmar leaves much to be desired.

Safety procedures are taken very seriously
Professional and friendly staff
Good meal and soft drinks provided
Offers frequent miles
More flexible with destinations in South East Asia

Slow check-in but web check-in will be available in the near future
Quite expensive for a short distance flight
Website is difficult to use
Fewer domestic routes compared to other airlines
Website is unreliable – the route is listed on their website but it says that there are no available flights or seats when you proceed with the online booking
Code sharing with other airlines, which means you may not be on a Myanmar Airways International flight

You can find other operators with more frequent flights during the week
The Sky Smile Privilege Program is available to offer priority boarding and fast track through security
Lounge services, which include refreshments and free Wi-Fi, are offered to all business class passengers
Frequent fliers are rewarded with miles
Code sharing with Air KBZ. You book with Myanmar Airways International on some domestic routes and fly with Air KBZ.
Not every international flight departs on a daily basis

Travellers mention that flight crew usually can speak English and the experience about flying with Myanmar Airways Intl is generally positive apart from the high cost of the ticket for such a short distance. A snack and some soft drinks are included into your ticket price.

What we liked most about the reviews that many underline that the airline feels very safe and all safety procedures are followed carefully and professionally. It is especially encouraging as previously the safety record of the airline was unfortunately not spotless.

While at the airport, be ready for a slow check-in – the reports mentioning this are constant and numerous.

Travellers are also satisfied with comfortable seats and the cabin crew always ready to help and very friendly. Though some aircrafts are rather old, they feel reasonably safe and secure. Travellers also admit they would fly with this airline again.