Myanmar’s MAI eyes expansion of codeshare deal with AI

What prompted the airline to choose Chennai as its fourth Indian destination?

Myanmar Airways International decided to launch flights between Yangon and Chennai as we believe there are various positive indicators in developing point-to-point flights between both markets. Hence it becomes our fourth destination in India after Delhi, Kolkata and Gaya. First, we believe there is a substantial visiting family and friend (VFR) segment as there are an estimated one million Myanmar Tamils with family and relatives back in India. Second, as a year-round destination, Chennai, specifically, and Tamil Nadu in general, have much to offer to Myanmar travellers with their religious sites, which include several UNESCO Heritage Sites, natural attractions such as wildlife sanctuaries, and beaches, and being a hub for medical tourism with a high concentration of health-care facilities in the country. We also believe that we can position Myanmar, with its unique culture, natural wonders, and Bagan UNESCO Heritage Site, as a destination for outbound tourists from Chennai and its catchment areas, considering its vast market size potential of more than 70 million people and other socio-economic factors. Also, from our network perspective, we believe Chennai, among the country’s top five airports, would be a case study to observe the overall market’s reception to a virgin destination in South India, compared to our more traditional North India flights.

What does MAI have on offer for the traveller from Chennai? What about an e-visa facility?

MAI offers a promotional all-in fare of just ₹19,500 one-way and ₹37,500 return to celebrate our new route launch. Besides that, we also provide 5 kilograms [additional baggage allowance] free of charge to all passengers travelling on the Yangon and Chennai flights during the first month. The e-visa facility is available at https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/ with a tourist visa costing $50 for 28 days and a business visa costing $70 for 70 days.

The airline has said that the focus for the Chennai route will be visiting friends and relatives (VFR), medical, pilgrimage, and tourism. What is the data for each of these segments? What are the other segments? What are the packages for a traveller to Myanmar?

We believe visiting family and relatives (VFR) would be the largest segment with about 30%-40% contribution, with the rest of the targeted travel segments to be quite evenly distributed among them. At the same time, looking at Chennai’s importance in the business sector, we will also aim to develop the corporate market between both countries. Based on an initial market scan, Myanmar travel packages range approximately from ₹30,000 for three days/two nights to ₹90,000 for 10 days/nine nights in general.

The airline has said it is looking to develop Chennai as a transit hub for domestic transfer passengers and beyond. Are there any specific markets? What about the cargo potential?

We are exploring positioning Chennai as a transit hub for South India, namely to destinations such as Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Madurai, and beyond. Regarding cargo, we see a substantial and consistent volume, albeit small, focusing on pharmaceuticals and human hair shipments.

Are there any agreements that have been signed with airlines in India? As Air India is a codeshare partner, are there plans for South India arrangements?

Yes, Air India is currently our codeshare partner. We are actively working on the system integration for seamless codeshare availability and experience. We expect to launch our codeshare operations as early as possible. Indeed, we are considering expanding the codeshare arrangement with Air India as we acknowledge their extensive network coverage in India, in line with our plans to position Chennai as an alternate transit hub in India.

Could you elaborate on the airline’s standing in terms of its aviation infrastructure, engineering facilities and safety audits? What about the fleet?

Since our inception, we have had the privilege to work with various stakeholders across the board to ensure air travel is accessible and to promote the overall socio-economic growth of the country. The MAI fleet consists of 11 aircraft, namely four Airbus A320s, four Airbus A319s and three Embraer E190s, operated by a crew of highly trained pilots and flight attendants. The safety and comfort of our passengers are the airline’s priority: hence, we strictly comply with Myanmar Civil Aviation Requirements (MCAR) and adhere to the exceptional operating standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with MAI being the first and only IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified international carrier from Myanmar. As a result, we are recognised as one of the carriers with a 7-star rating by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s leading safety and product rating agency. MAI was named as the “Most Admired ASEAN Enterprise” in Myanmar at the 2014 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Awards, hosted by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC). MAI has been recognised by important governmental and industry organisations during the [COVID-19] pandemic, including recognition from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Overseas Citizens Protection Division for continuous operations between both nations during the pandemic and named as the 2021 Airline of the Year during the 6th Incheon Airport Awards by Seoul-Incheon International Airport, one of Skytrax’s top 10 airports.

The service to Chennai will be by a mix of the Embraer and Airbus A320 family of jets. What are the services on offer?

As MAI is a full-service carrier, our guests enjoy many benefits when flying with our carrier, including free baggage allowance of 40 kg for business class and 30 kg for economy class and an inflight meal, which are part of the airfare. Besides the full-service, MAI guests also will enjoy unbeatable value adds: our Sky Smile, a frequent flyer programme, offers our guests mileage accruals which are valuable towards their next travels with our carrier, while the Sky Deals boarding pass programme offers up to 40% discounts across more than 80 partners across ASEAN. Furthermore, specific to business guests, MAI also offers complimentary VIP lounge access with our dedicated check-in, baggage drop and customs and immigration clearance for business guests at Yangon.

Will this flight be one of the world’s longest flights by the Embraer 190? Separately, will this be the longest Embraer E190 flight for Myanmar Airways International?

Our E190 flights between Yangon and Chennai will not be one of the longest flights for this aircraft type as the average air distance between both points is approximately 1,418 miles or 2,282 kilometres, which will take about three hours and 15 minutes per way. Hence, our flight is much shorter than the world record flight distance held by the same aircraft type between Minsk and Dubai, which clocks at 2,422 miles or 3,898 km. Our Yangon-Chennai flight becomes our second longest flight for our E190 fleet after our Yangon -Taipei flights, which clocks in at four hours and 15 minutes. Besides Chennai and Taipei, we also utilise our E190 fleet primarily to operate flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, Delhi, Kolkata and 10 cities within Myanmar on our domestic network. Our Airbus fleet also operates alternately on the E190 routes subject to demand factor, with a focus on flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Seoul, Dubai, Guangzhou and Kunming.

What about the Air KBZ link?

Air KBZ is MAI’s sister carrier that operates domestic destinations in Myanmar, serving 17 destinations within the country with its fleet of ATR72-600s, including key destinations such as Mandalay, Thandwe-Ngapali Beach, the Nyaung-U Bagan UNESCO Heritage Site, Heho-Inle Lake and the Myeik-Mergui Archipelago. Both carriers work seamlessly on a codeshare basis as we share the same technology platform; hence guests can purchase their tickets via the MAI website or our trade partners via our agents’ portal. Based on these arrangements, our domestic codeshare network is also available via all the major global distribution systems.