flying within Myanmar

[watgate]

I am going to Myanmar next month with my Thai g/f and part of the packaged tour has us flying from Yangon to Bagan and then from Bagan to Mandalay. I am concerned about the safety element of flying in Myanmar. Are the airlines safe in Myanmar and the pilots skilled? My concern is if it is still the rainy season there in October and should a violent storm erupt prior to our flying in Myanmar, would the airline take necessary precautions and wait for the storm to pass or would they be anxious to stay on schedule at the sake of safety?

[craigt3365]

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.airlinequality.com/

[Halfaboy]

I flew quite a lot there. Always made it from A to B. Don't worry too much as usually there are no problems.

[Tomtomtom69]

Well just like Craig suggested, maybe take a look at that website.

Otherwise, here's my take. Myanmar airlines have traditionally not had a good safety record. However, in recent years safety has greatly improved and with the lifting of most western sanctions and the opening up of the economy, you have new airlines and new planes and a lifting of safety standards of the existing government airlines.

I hope you are flying with an airline such as KBZ Air, Air Bagan or Myanmar Airways, they seem to be better.

However, in 2012 there was a crash at Heho airport near Inle Lake, but only a small number of casualties. Although the flight was operated by Air Bagan, that shouldn't put you off too much.

As for the weather, you should be happy to know that upper Myanmar, particularly Mandalay and Bagan is generally fairly dry year round with only minimal rainfall even during the rainy season. That entire region is virtually a desert. Even though parts of Myanmar, mostly in the west (Rakhine and Chin states) and the north-west (Sagaing and Kachin) were recently affected by heavy flooding, Mandalay and Bagan have suffered from a drought and by October, as is usually the case, but especially this year I think it should be fairly dry by that time.

If you want to back out of flying, perhaps your tour operator could organize a car with driver. The journey on the new expressway from Yangon to Mandalay takes just 8 hours or so on an excellent road, while Mandalay to Bagan, although not an expressway is just 180km - can't believe you would need to fly such a short distance especially seeing that Mandalay airport is located about 50km outside of the city. That 180km stretch can probably be covered in not much more than 3 hours, even if the road is not that good. Flying will actually take you longer.

If not and you go ahead as planned, well I suspect everything will go well for you anyway. It's your call though.

[phazey]

Some internal flights i've been on have certainly been white knuckle. And if the Monks start chanting, you are indeed in rough weather....

Also, don't sit near the front of the aircraft. The cigarette smoke from the cockpit can be quite uncomfortable at times.....