Qatar Airways resumes flights to Myanmar
Qatar Airways has announced the resumption of flights to Yangon after a four-year absence with the launch of scheduled services to Myanmar’s largest city.
Yangon becomes Qatar Airways’ 10th gateway in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) following on from operations to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Hanoi, Singapore, Manila and Phuket – and the carrier’s 119th destination worldwide.
Qatar Airways suspended flights to Yangon in January 2008, and is now restoring services, providing greater economic and travel opportunities for the people of Myanmar.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker led a delegation onboard the non-stop overnight flight from Doha to Yangon on Thursday.
Al Baker said Qatar Airways' re-entry into Yangon marked one of the Gulf carrier's most important route launches of the year.
“Yangon becomes our ninth new destination so far this year to join Qatar Airways’ family of routes and the first Asian launch in 2012,” he said.
"There has never been a better time to expand into Myanmar – a country blessed with rich natural resources, and proximity to some of the world’s most dynamic economies.”
Al Baker added: “At Qatar Airways, we remain committed to opening up access to destinations that are largely underserved by international airlines and that have great market potential.
"Yangon is an example of this and 2012 will continue to be one of our biggest years of expansion addressing the underserved markets that our strategy has focused on.”
Qatar Airways will operate thrice-weekly non-stop scheduled flights into Yangon from its Doha hub, flying an Airbus 319 aircraft.
The former capital of Yangon and current gateway to Myanmar has by far the largest airport in the country, handling around 2.5 million passengers annually, two-thirds being international visitors – a figure set to rise sharply as airlines start flights from other markets.
The Asia Pacific and South Asia represent around 30 percent of Qatar Airways’ global coverage, flying to cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Osaka, Tokyo, Perth, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Colombo.