Bangkok Airways is planning to expand its operations in Burma with flights to destintations in the country’s north, according to a report by the website eturbonews.com. Peter Wiesner, the airline’s senior vice president of network management, told the online journal that “we currently only operate to Yangon,†but “ would like to like to start flying to Mandalay and Rangoon [sic]â€â€”the latter destination possibly refering to Naypyidaw, Burma’s new capital. “We will start four or five flights a day probably next year if the environment allows us to do so,†he added.

Source: Irrawaddy.org

Well this article made bugger all sense.....

currently only operate to Yangon, but would like to start flying to Mandalay and Rangoon, the latter destination possibly referring to Naypyidaw

Bit hard to confuse the two, and this is coming from an executive of the airline, which already flies to Yangon.

We will start four or five flights a day probably next year

...to where?

Might see if I can track down the original source...

This article has been re-hashed a few times....

Try this:

WORLD ROUTES: BANGKOK AIRWAYS SETS ITS SIGHTS ON RANGOON

Bangkok Airways is planning to begin serving Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar, Mandalay and tourism destinations in the north of the country within a year thanks to improving political conditions in the country.

Speaking exclusively to The HUB at the World Route Development Summit at the 18th World Route Development Forum in Abu Dhabi, Peter Wiesner, Senior Vice President-Network Management, Bangkok Airways, said with the thawing of government restrictions on Burmese society there was an opportunity to open up the market.

“I would like to like to start flying to Mandalay and Rangoon which are currently not served, we currently only operate to Yangon,” he said. “We will start four or five flights a day probably next year if the environment allows us to do so. There is the possibility of opening up destinations in the north with their temple complexes to the tourist market.”

Wiesner also said the carrier was evaluating opportunities within a five hour operating radius, especially in Indonesia and southern China. Elsewhere, the carrier is hoping to seal an interline partnership with Japan Airlines by this winter which would allow Bangkok Airways to access Toyko and Osaka and the Japanese full service carrier an open door into markets such as India and Bangladesh.

(by Oliver Clark)

From this link: http://www.routesonl...hts-on-rangoon/

???

I flew Bangkok Airways to Yangon back in 2004. Unless they stopped flying since and want to resume operations, this is nothing new. If they start services to Mandalay, Bagan or Naypyidaw, then that would be exciting, but 4-5 flights a day is highly unlikely, more like 4-5 flights a week or perhaps daily flights to any non-Yangon destination.

???

I flew Bangkok Airways to Yangon back in 2004. Unless they stopped flying since and intend to resume operations, this is nothing new and I find it strange that they apparently haven't maintained daily frequency since then up until now as other airlines such as Thai have maintained double daily or more flights for years on this route, even during the worst years back in 2007 when all the monk protests occurred and the international community shunned the country.

If they intend to being services to Mandalay, Bagan or Nyipyidaw then this would be exciting, except that 4-5 flights a day to any non-Yangon destination is unrealistic, more like 4-5 flights a week or perhaps daily or 10 flights a week depending on demand would likely eventuate.

Sorry for the double post above, it originally appeared as though my first post didn't appear. Anyway, the article is ridiculous; Rangoon is the old colonial name for Yangon and it states that "Bangkok Airways flies to Yangon, but intends to begin services to Rangoon".

A news story about Myanmar that makes no sense? Shocking! And I thought the utter confusion surrounding all things Visa was an aberration...

Neither foreign nor local press seem to be able to make sense of or report accurately on goings-on here.

Next, they'll be opening up the tourist destination of Maymyo, "only a stone's throw from Pyin U Lwin"