Yangon International Airport has welcomed the inaugural flight of Indian air carrier IndiGo from Kolkata to Yangon, marking the first scheduled daily flight from any Indian city to the gateway to Myanmar.
IndiGo will operate an Airbus A320, which can accommodate 180 passengers, for the flight which will take between two to two-and-a-half hours each way. The service will enhance air links between Myanmar and India – two countries which enjoy rich historical and cultural ties, according to a press release from Yangon Aerodrome Company.
The additional flight follows recent promotions by YACL, Myanmar Tourism Marketing and IndiGo to promote air links targeted at commercial passengers as well as Buddhist pilgrims from Myanmar visiting sacred sites in India such as Bodha Gaya and Indian pilgrims to temples and monasteries including the Shwedagon Pagoda and Bagan, recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, among others.
The Myanmar government also recently extended its visas-on-arrival grant to Indian passport holders till the end of September 2020.
With the addition of this new airline, YIA now connects to 33 international destinations operated by 34 international airlines.
The flight left at 11.15 AM on 20 September from the Indian city.
Both the Myanmar Ambassador to India and the Indigo President were present in Kolkatta for the inaugural flight.
IndiGo has added Yangon as its 18th international destination in its growing network. IndiGo will operate daily non-stop flights on the Kolkata-Yangon route.
Speaking earlier about the service, Mr. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “In line with our international expansion strategy, we are excited to announce Yangon as our new international destination. We see significant traffic coming from Yangon to the Buddhist circuit thereby enhancing economic growth and tourism in India. This new route will strengthen the cultural relationship between the two countries and will boost trade, tourism and mobility.”
The new flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options.
