New route Chiang Mai to Yangon

CHIANG MAI, 12 June 2018: AirAsia will introduce a new direct service linking Chiang Mai in North Thailand with Yangon in Myanmar.

The three weekly service, scheduled Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, will start 11 August.

August is one of the lowest months for travel to Yangon and traffic from Chiang Mai will be even lower. However, there is strong potential for the route during November to March when peak tourist season kicks in for Myanmar.

Competition will be tough as Bangkok Airways serves the Chiang Mai-Yangon route daily. The PG one-hour, 25-minute flight departs at 1140 and arrives in Yangon at 1235.

The roundtrip fare is THB 7,147 with full service, baggage allowance and lounge use at both airports.

Myanmar National Airlines offers three weekly flights (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) on the route quoting a fare of THB 5,976.

But AirAsia can count on its strong customer base and it low-fares starting with a special deal for the launch of just THB 990 during the sales period 11 to 24 June for travel 11 August to 12 August 2019.

It is likely that outside of the launch promotion the roundtrip fare will hover around the THB 2,800 mark, with no add-ons.

At present, AirAsia serves the Chiang Mai-Yangon route with a check-through service and a stop in Bangkok for a change of plane. The roundtrip fare is THB5,467. Flight time end-to-end is three hours and 55 minutes

AirAsia’s believes the new direct flight, using its latest A320s, will appeal to tourists who want to visit Chiang Mai the prime gateway city to North Thailand and then extend their travels to take in Yangon in Myanmar.

Multi-country tours are gaining popularity in the region as air travel costs are low and tourists travelling long distances to get to the region want to experience more than just one destination.

There is potential to sell trips to Chiang Mai residents who will be able to visit Yangon without having to travel via Bangkok that makes the trip more expensive and time-consuming.

Thai AirAsia CEO, Santisuk Klongchaiya, remarked that Chiang Mai is now a gateway with numerous international flights from Asia.

Yangon is Myanmar’s commercial capital and home to many important religious sites such as Shwedagon Pagoda, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda and Bo Bo Gyi Shrine.

The new flights also come with a range of other privileges that include discounts on GrabTaxi, 700 MB of free data and 500 Kyat worth of phone calls when purchasing a SIM card at the MPT counter at Yangon Airport and discounts up to 15% at restaurants across the city.

Chiang Mai is one of six domestic Thai AirAsia hubs where six A320s serve 13 routes.

That breaks down to eight domestic routes ( Bangkok, Phuket, Hat Yai, Krabi, Surat Thani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and U-Tapao Pattaya) and five international routes ( Macau, Hong Kong, Changsha, Hangzhou and Kuala Lumpur).

Flight Schedule for Chiang Mai (CNX) – Yangon (RGN)

Service starts 11 August 2018