Myanmar is planning a second international airport in Yangon, the country’s largest city, in anticipation of a jump in tourist arrivals following political reforms under a new reformist government.
The proposed Hanthawaddy International Airport will be built about 80 kilometers north of Yangon, with a land area of 3,642 hectares, almost 10 times that of the Yangon International Airport, according to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).
Construction is set to start in the second half of 2013 and end three years later.
Yangon International Airport, which can handle 2.7 million passengers annually, is seen to exceed capacity with the expected arrival of around 3 million passengers this year, the DCA said.
There are also plans to expand the old airport to accommodate an expected 5.4 million visitors in 2015.
The new airport will become the fourth to serve international flights. Besides Yangon airport, there are those in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, both of which, however, are not completely operational.
The country is inviting investors to fund the Hanthawaddy airport project, part of an overall strategy to privatize all the country’s airports, the DCA said.
At present Myanmar has 20 foreign and domestic airlines flying from Yangon airport. Six other international carriers have recently shown interest to operate in the country.
Photo: druidabruxux
