A total of ten airlines from China are flying between 16 towns in China and Yangon and more Chinese airlines are asking permission from Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to fly more flights to Yangon International Airport (YIA), said Ye Htut Aung, Deputy Director General of the DCA.

Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Spring Airlines from China are launched new flight schedules from January to July this year.

“At the present, six airlines from China are flying between towns in China and Mandalay. Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) and Myanmar Airways International (MAI) are flying to China. Recently, the MAI introduced a new flight schedule to China. More airlines from China are asking permission from the DCA to introduce new flights,” he said.

The arrival of Chinese tourists within six months in 2019 is increased to 140 per cent in compared with last year arrival in the same period as more flights between towns in China and Yangon are introduced and Myanmar has eased visa restrictions on Chinese. The arrival of tourists from South Korea is increased to 84 per cent and the arrival of tourists from Japan is increased to 24 per cent in compared with last year arrival.

The Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Spring Airlines introduced flights between Chongqing, Chengdu, Hohhot, Wuhan, Shanghai and Xiamen in China and Yangon in Myanmar. More than 320,000 Chinese tourists visited Yangon International Airport by the end of June.