CNI News

19 August 2023

It is still not easy in practice to upgrade Pathein Airport to enable international flights to land, said tourism entrepreneurs to CNI News. 

Pathein Airport would be upgraded to enable international flights to land at, said chairman of the State Administration Council while he met with elders of Pathein on 10th August 2023. 

Moreover, according to international norms, roads were to be upgraded depending on the daily vehicular traffic and because many vehicles were going and coming on the Yangon-Pathein road every day, upgrading roads were under progress, he said.

" international Airport is different from CIQ (CUSTOMS, IMMIGRATION AND QUARANTINE) Airport. There are three international airports which are recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Myanmar _ Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw airports. CIQ airports are Bagan, Heho, Thandwe and Mawlamyine airpords. If they upgrade the airport to be an international airport, runways must be able to bear the load of big planes. It must be consistent with the ICAO's safety standards. If it's not consistent with the ICAO's standards, they will be able to upgrade to reach the level of CIQ. Regular schedule is needed to go. There will be many steps to carry out to reach the level of an international airport." said U Thet Lwin Toe, a tourism entrepreneur.

Tourists on the Chaungtha Beach

If international airplanes can landed at Pathein Airport, ticket fares should be raised so that tourists who can spend a lot would visit and if the ticket fares were cheap, a lot of tourists could visit, which could damage the natural environment, pointed out U Thet Lwin Toe.

The number of foreign tourists who would enter could increase, which was beneficial to the tourism sector if Pathein Airport was upgraded, said U Aung Aye Han, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, to CNI News.
" Although Pathen is over 100 miles away from Yangon, it will take you about five hours to get there if you go by car. After Pathein Airport is upgraded, if regular flights or international flights land at there, people who want to come to Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung beaches for leisure will be more convenient. If the direct flights were available, the number of tourists would increase. If they can switch to domestic airlines in Pathein, they can save time and travel more," he said.

258,000 tourists from local and abroad came to Chaungtha from January to October in 2022 and 66,000 tourists only entered there during the same period in 2021 reportedly.

Moreover, about 210,000 tourists from local and abroad came to Ngwe Saung from January to October in 2022 and 41,500 tourists only entered there during the same period in 2021 reportedly.