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Myanmar Airways International
IATA ICAO Callsign
8M MMA MYANMAR
Founded1946; 78 years ago (1946) (as Union of Burma Airways)
Commenced operations1997; 27 years ago (1997)
Hubs Yangon International Airport
Secondary hubs Mandalay International Airport
Frequent-flyer programSky Smile Privilege Program
Fleet size10
Destinations32
Headquarters Yangon, Myanmar
Key people
  • U Aung Aung Zaw (Chairman)
Employees5000
Website maiair.com

Myanmar Airways International Co., Ltd. ( Burmese: အပြည်ပြည်ဆိုင်ရာ မြန်မာ့လေကြောင်းလိုင်း) is a privately owned airline headquartered in Yangon, Myanmar. [1] It operates scheduled international services to destinations mainly in Southeast Asia and is based at Yangon International Airport. Myanmar Airways International was the sponsor of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games. MAI's logo shows pyinsarupa ( Burmese: ပဉ္စရူပ), a traditional Burmese chimeric animal.

History

Early years

A now retired MAI Boeing 737-300 in 2002

The airline was founded in 1946. [2]

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 with (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[ who?] through his company pyae

Co. took an 11% share and Myanmar 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 MAI.

Expansion and modernization since 2009

MAI inherited a long history of government ownership when it was separated from Myanmar National Airlines in 1993. The new airline was initially formed as a joint venture company between Myanma Airways and a Singapore investment company. Just prior to the 2010 General Election, Myanmar's government sold an 80% stake in MAI to one of the country's largest financial institutions, Kanbawza Bank Ltd, retaining a 20% stake through the state-owned domestic carrier, Myanma Airways. In 2009 MAI received delivery of its first two aircraft with the remainder of the carrier's short-haul fleet being leased from neighboring countries. Operations radically change from 2010 under KBZ Bank's ownership with organizational and route adjustments. As well as fully commercializing the airline's operations, the carrier's controlling parent also launched a domestic partner airline, Air KBZ in June 2010. [3] Since then, MAI has been expanding its fleet and currently has a total of three Airbus A320s and four Airbus A319s in its service. It also leased Airbus A321s from Air Méditerranée in the winter of 2010–2011 and deployed them on Bangkok-Singapore services. Non-hub routes between Bangkok-Singapore and Siem Reap-Phnom Penh were successfully inaugurated in 2010 and 2011 respectively. In 2013, MAI received the IOSA certificate, the only recipient in Myanmar of the IATA Operational Safety Audit Program (IOSA) Operator. In 2016, Kanbawza (KBZ) Group acquired full control of MAI. In 2018 the airline commenced services between Mandalay-Bangkok. [4]

Services

Sky Smile Privilege Program

In this frequent-flyer program, MAI offers three levels of membership – Jade, Ruby and Diamond. Passengers who have travelled on three return flights within one calendar year are entitled to apply for the Ruby membership and start earning points required to qualify for the next level. If a passenger has completed a minimum of six return flights with his Ruby membership, the membership will automatically be moved up to the Diamond membership scheme. A Sky Smile Privilege Program member can redeem the mile points earned by flying with MAI for free travel tickets.

Sky Smile Executive Lounge

MAI Sky Smile Executive Lounge at Yangon International Airport is offered exclusively for Diamond Card Members and business class passengers. The lounge offers refreshments, entertainment and business secretary services.


Destinations

Myanmar Airways International serves the following destinations: [5] [6]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Bangladesh Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Begins 8 May 2024 [7]
Cambodia Phnom Penh Phnom Penh International Airport [6] [8]
China Guangzhou Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport [9]
Kunming Kunming Changshui International Airport [10]
India Chennai Chennai International Airport [11]
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport [6]
Gaya Gaya Airport [6] [12] [13]
Kolkata Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport [6] [14]
Japan Osaka Kansai International Airport Terminated [15]
Tokyo Narita International Airport Terminated [16]
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur International Airport [6]
Laos Vientiane Wattay International Airport Begins 4 May 2024 [17]
Myanmar Bagan/ Nyaung U Nyaung U Airport [18]
Dawei Dawei Airport [6]
Heho Heho Airport [6]
Kawthaung Kawthaung Airport [6]
Kengtung Kengtung Airport [6]
Mandalay Mandalay International Airport Secondary hub [6]
Mawlamyine Mawlamyine Airport Planned [19]
Myeik Myeik Airport [6]
Myitkyina Myitkyina Airport [6]
Putao Putao Airport [6]
Sittwe Sittwe Airport [6]
Thandwe Thandwe Airport [6]
Yangon Yangon International Airport Primary Hub [6]
Qatar Doha Hamad International Airport Begins 1 June 2024 [20]
Russia Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport [21] [22] [23]
Singapore Singapore Changi Airport [12]
South Korea Seoul Incheon International Airport [6] [24]
Thailand Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport [25]
Suvarnabhumi Airport [6] [12]
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai International Airport Begins 3 April 2024 [26]
Phuket Phuket International Airport [27]
United Arab Emirates Dubai Dubai International Airport [6]
Vietnam Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport [28]
Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport [28]

Codeshare agreements

Myanmar Airways International has codeshare and interline partner agreements with the following airlines: [29] [30]

Fleet

MAI Airbus A319-100
MAI Airbus A320-200
MAI Embraer 190

Current fleet

The Myanmar Airways International fleet comprises the following aircraft (as of February 2024): [33] [34] [35] [36]

Myanmar Airways International fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A319-100 4 135
Airbus A320-200 4 180 XU-725 and XU-726 wet leased from Sky Angkor Airlines
ATR 72-600 1 2 72 [37] [38]
Embraer 190 2 98 The only airline in Myanmar using jets for domestic services
Cargo fleet
Boeing 737-300F 1 Cargo Operated base on ACMI basis From My Indo Airlines
Total 10 0

Former fleet

MAI had operated a variety of aircraft types, including:

See also

References

  1. ^ " Offices Address Archived 2009-09-06 at the Wayback Machine." Myanmar Airways International. Retrieved on 10 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-10. p. 53.
  3. ^ "Airline Review - Myanmar Airways International". destinationtravel.info. 9 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Myanmar Airways International Adds Mandalay – Bangkok from Sep 2016". Routes Online. 11 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Our Destinations". Myanmar Airways International.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Route Map". Myanmar Airways International.
  7. ^ MAI to Bangladesh
  8. ^ "Myanmar Airways International to Launch Phnom Penh Service in W11". Routesonline. 16 September 2011.
  9. ^ "Myanmar Airways International to start Guangzhou service from Mar 2011". Routesonline. 24 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Myanmar Airways International Adds Kunming Service from late-Dec 2015". Routesonline. 19 November 2015.
  11. ^ "MYANMAR AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL ADDS REGULAR CHENNAI FLIGHTS IN NS23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "Myanmar Airways Int'l W10 Service increase and new routes". routesonline. 6 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Myanmar Airways International to commence Yangon-Gaya service". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Myanmar Airways International adds Kolkata service from Dec 2016". routesonline. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Yangon-Osaka". 24 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Yangon-Narita". Facebook.
  17. ^ MAI to laos
  18. ^ "Myanmar Airways flight 8M 211: Yangon - Heho via Bagan/Nyaung-u". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  19. ^ MAI to mawlamyine
  20. ^ MAI to Qatar
  21. ^ "Myanmar Airways International Adds Novosibirsk Service From Sep 2023". AeroRoutes. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Myanmar Airways Set to Launch Direct Flights to Russian Nuclear Hub". The Irrawaddy. The Irrawaddy. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Myanmar Airways International Extends Novosibirsk into NS24". AeroRoutes. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Myanmar Airways International adds Seoul service from Dec 2019". Routesonline. 1 October 2019.
  25. ^ "MAI to launch new flights connecting Yangon, Mandalay to Thailand". 29 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Myanmar Airways International adds Chiang Mai service in 2Q24". 28 February 2024.
  27. ^ "MYANMAR AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL ADDS PHUKET SERVICE IN LATE-SEP 2022". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Hãng hàng không tư nhân lớn nhất Myanmar sắp có mặt tại Việt Nam" [Myanmar's largest private airline is coming to Vietnam soon]. Bao Giao Thong (in Vietnamese). 19 August 2022.
  29. ^ "Codeshare Partners". maiair.com. Myanmar Airways International.
  30. ^ "Profile on Myanmar Airways International". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 2016-11-02. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  31. ^ "SriLankan expands network to Myanmar in partnership with Myanmar Airways International". www.srilankan.com. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  32. ^ "Royal Brunei Airlines and Myanmar Airways International ink codeshare agreement". www.flyroyalbrunei.com. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  33. ^ "Our Fleet". maiair.com.
  34. ^ "Myanmar Airways International Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  35. ^ "Myanmar Airways International takes first E190 | News | Flight Global".
  36. ^ "Cargo Fleet".
  37. ^ MAI expands domestically with new addition: ATR 72-600 aircraft joins fleet
  38. ^ Myanmar Airways International receives first ATR 72-600

External links

Media related to Myanmar Airways International at Wikimedia Commons