STATE-run Myanma Airways has signed a contract for the lease of 10 Boeing aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) as part of its plan to return to the international aviation scene in June 2015.
Myanma Airways, which sold its stake in Myanmar Airways International (MAI) to KBZ Bank, has in the past operated as Burma Airways Corporation and Union of Burma Airways using the UB flight code. Its network today covers 26 domestic destinations and Gaya in India.
It will receive the first three Boeing 737-800s from GECAS in June 2015, two more in 2016 and a final one in 2017, after which four more of the longer range and more efficient B737-MAX8s will join the fleet, Myanma Airways announced on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow 2014.
The 10 aircraft are collectively valued at US$618 million at list price.
GECAS subsidiary AviaSolutions will also be an institutional, management, financial and commercial consultant to the airline in strategic growth planning and route and network development.
Cognizant of the potential confusion in the branding of Myanma Airways vis-a-vis MAI, AviaSolution’s principal consultant, Cronan Enright, said: “We are mindful of this situation and will (clarify this when) reaching out to the travel trade nearer the time when Myanma Airways returns to flying to international destinations.”
Although no specific international destinations were named, Myanma Airways’ managing director, Than Tun, named Japan, South Korea and China as markets that the airline is studying.
