The UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) has been chartering relief flights with several Asian carriers as COVID-19 causes disruptions to transport systems and airlinks, Smart Aviation APAC reported.

In Myanmar, where domestic commercial flights were stopped for four months until 16 December, the UNWFP chartered five Air KBZ flights, its Asia head of advocacy and communications Kun Li told Smart Aviation APAC. These humanitarian charter flights were operated from Myanmar’s capital Yangon to Sittwe in Rakhine state on the western coast of the country, she adds.

Now that domestic commercial flights are more readily available in Myanmar, the UNWFP has stopped the charter operation, she says.