RANGOON — Dubai’s Emirates airline will schedule flights to Rangoon starting in August, the airline said on Thursday, with local tourism experts welcoming the launch.
Emirates will begin the daily service from Dubai to Rangoon, as well as to Hanoi, Vietnam, starting August 3. The new route is anticipated to strengthen Emirates’ network in Southeast Asia and to offer a new flight option to passengers traveling between Hanoi and Rangoon.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president of strategic planning, revenue optimization and aero-political affairs, said in the announcement, “With the opening of this service, Emirates will enhance its Southeast Asia offering and offer more choices for travelers in Myanmar and Vietnam to conveniently connect to 39 cities in Europe, 16 in the Middle East as well as a number of destinations across our extensive network in Africa and the Americas.”
Round-trip flights to Rangoon and Hanoi will depart daily from Dubai at 02:50 am, arriving at Rangoon International Airport at 11:05 am. Flights will then depart from Rangoon at 12:35pm and arrive at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at 2:50pm. The return flight will depart Hanoi at 10:50 pm, arriving in Rangoon at 12:20 am the following day. Flights will then depart from Rangoon at 1:50 am and arrive at Dubai International Airport at 05:05 am.
“Emirates’ first air service to Myanmar supports the country’s tourism master plan to target 7.5 million tourist arrivals by 2020,” Kazim said.
Burma welcomed 4.68 million tourists in 2015, according to figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, which was an increase of 52 percent from the previous year.
Aung Myat Kyaw, vice president of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, praised Emirates’ future presence in the region and said that he expects more tourists to visit Burma, particularly from Europe, the United States and other western countries.
“This is connecting us to the world. It’s good news. More passengers will come here from western countries. They [Emirates] know the potential of Myanmar,” he said.
In the statement, Emirates said that Burma has continued to witness an increase in foreign tourist arrivals since its pivot away from isolationism in 2011, in particular attracting those interested in eco-tourism and the country’s many ancient temples.
