NAY PYI TAW - Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2013 announces AirAsia’s plans to launch daily flights between Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, beginning in October 2013.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be the first and only airline to connect Bangkok to Nay Pyi Taw with daily flights starting in October 2013. As a truly Asean airline, we are committed to making travel within ASEAN accessible and affordable, especially as connectivity to Nay Pyi Taw continues to become an increasingly important destination for the region. With the 27th SEA Games approaching in December 2013, Myanmar’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014, and the ASEAN Economic Community taking place in 2015, there will be tremendous demand to connect the capital city to the rest of the world, and Bangkok is a perfect place to start”, said Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia.
“I’ve always been a strong believer that the success of the ASEAN Economic Community is highly dependent on regional connectivity and policies which truly support ASEAN Open Skies. But beyond ASEAN, Myanmar is also a gateway to India and China so it is only natural that the success of its economic reforms has enabled it to become one of the hottest investment sites in the region. With its Foreign Direct Investment growing five times from 2011 to 2012, there is no better time to offer the world more access to this hot destination”, added Fernandes.
According to Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, “Bringing ASEAN closer together has always been our mission, and we are very happy to make travel simple and accessible with our excellent connectivity, especially since almost half of all travel in the region is intra-ASEAN.”
“In addition to Yangon and Mandalay, we are very pleased to connect Nay Pyi Taw to Bangkok with daily direct flights in October. It is especially timely as we anticipate a significant amount of travelers to this destination due to the upcoming SEA Games in December this year. With AirAsia’s extensive network, we are glad to play a role in connecting ASEAN to Myanmar’s happening capital, and we are equally excited to open up a new convenient option for residents of Nay Pyi Taw to reach Bangkok and the rest of the world”, added the CEO.
