Air Bagan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Air Bagan အဲပုဂ |
||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| IATA W9 |
ICAO JAB |
Callsign AIR BAGAN |
| Founded | 2004 | |
| Hubs | Yangon International Airport Mandalay Chanmyathazi Airport |
|
| Frequent flyer program | Royal Lotus Plus | |
| Member lounge | Lotus Lounge | |
| Fleet size | 7 | |
| Destinations | 20 | |
| Parent company | Htoo Trading Co. Ltd [1] | |
| Company slogan | Safe Flight. Better Service. | |
| Headquarters | Yangon, Myanmar | |
| Key people | Tay Za (Chairman)[1], Soe Win (Managing Director) | |
| Website: http://www.airbagan.com/ | ||
Air Bagan Limited is an airline based in Yangon, Myanmar. It operates domestic scheduled services to 15 towns and cities, as well as to Thailand. Its main bases are Yangon International Airport and Mandalay Chanmyathazi Airport[2].
Contents |
[edit] History
The airline was established in June 2004 and started operations on 15 November 2004. It is owned by Myanma Airways and Htoo Trading and has 250 employees (at March 2007). (Tay Za, the chairman of Air Bagan, Air Bagan (the company), and Htoo Trading, the joint owner of Air Bagan, are all entities against which the United States government has imposed sanctions[3][4].) Its first international service was flown from Yangon to Bangkok on 15 May 2007[2], and the second to Singapore from 7 September 2007[5], however it suspended its Singapore service after the US imposed sanctions on the company following the 2007 protests.[6]
In June 2006, it received permission to fly to China and Bangkok, Thailand. In October 2006, the company announced that it would commence flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Air Bagan had added two A310-200 to launch international flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Osaka, Seoul, Chennai and Kunming in 2007.
[edit] Political Connection
Air Bagan is owned by an arms dealer and businessman by the name of U Tay Za. He has close business and working relations with the ruling military junta of Myanmar. As one of the supposed large beneficiaries of the Burmese military junta, Air Bagan and its owner have allegedly accumulated a vast fortune.
[edit] Accidents
On Februrary 19 2008 ATR72-200 XY-AIE suffered engine failure during take-off at Putao, northern Burma, on a flight to Myitkina Airport,but after aborting it ran off the runway and up an enbankment,breaking the fuselage in two just forward of the wing. It is not known if any of the 57 occupants were injured or killed.
[edit] Destinations
As of July 2007, Air Bagan operates scheduled flights to the following destinations:[7][8][9]
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
- Bagan (Nyaung U Airport)
- Dawei (Dawei Airport)
- Heho (Heho Airport)
- Kawthaung (Kawthaung Airport)
- Kalaymyo (Kalaymyo Airport)
- Kengtong (Kengtung Airport)
- Lashio (Lashio Airport)
- Mandalay (Mandalay International Airport) - hub
- Mergui (Myeik Airport)
- Myitkyina (Myitkyina Airport)
- Pathein (Pathein Airport)
- Putao (Putao Airport)
- Sittwe (Sittwe Airport)
- Tachilek (Tachilek Airport)
- Thandwe (Thandwe Airport)
- Yangon (Yangon International Airport) - main hub
- Thailand
[edit] Fleet
The Air Bagan fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 30 August 2008) [1]:
[edit] Cyclone Nargis
When Cyclone Nargis struct Lower Myanmar in May 2008, the Burmese government gave Air Bagan and its parent company, Htoo Trading Co. Ltd responsibility to reconstruct the badly devastated town of Bogale in the Ayeryaddy Delta. [10] Air Bagan drew praise from certain portions of the populace for its apparent contribution to humanitarian work, although this move drew scorn from the international community, as it was seen as an example of the military junta's fear of outside influence and a means of consolidating its own pervasive control. Htoo Trading had no previous expertise in disaster relief management, while international expertise, supplies and aid provided by major international non-governmental organizations were offered but ultimately not fully delivered due to the military junta's unwillingness to be accountable and fears of misappropriation. However, a supposed disagreement over the donation of water filters from Germany has also cast the air line's owner in a comparatively positive light.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Shutao, Song (2007-05-15). "Burma private airline launches first international flight". Xinhua Online. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-05/15/content_6101583.htm. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 53. 2007-03-27.
- ^ Executive Order: Blocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Burma
- ^ HP-807: Treasury Action Targets Financial Network of Burmese Tycoon and Regime Henchman Tay Za
- ^ "Myanmar's Air Bagan launches S'pore service", AsiaOne Travel, September 7, 2007
- ^ http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14151
- ^ Air Bagan domestic schedule ex. Yangon
- ^ Air Bagan domestic schedule ex. Mandalay
- ^ Air Bagan international schedule
- ^ Nargis Cyclone Air Bagan's Humanitarian Work
|
|||||||
