There’s a new player on the Myanmar aviation scene, after Thai Lion Air was finally given the green light to begin direct flights between Bangkok and Yangon starting July 22.
The low-cost carrier, which is a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Air group, was supposed to launch the twice-daily flights in May but plans were scuppered after Myanmar carriers reportedly objected to the airline plying the crowded route.
Now, the Bangkok Post reports, all the commotion has died down, and the airline is again advertising its low fares, starting from about $27 one-way.
Some analysts reportedly foresee a potential that the route could be over-supplied – international airlines including Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air as well as domestic carriers already fly between the two cities.
Nevertheless the green light is good news for Lion Air and its customers, after an outcry over unexpected cancellations in May and June.
It’s just in time, too: Myanmar’s aviation department is reportedly drafting new regulations to restrict the expansion of international airlines into its skies.
