Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) has started cargo chartered flight to Bangkok and is planning to extend its cargo flights to Singapore and other countries, sources said.
“The main cargos are medicines and medical equipment and textiles are also included,” said Capt. Khup Khan Mung from the MNA.
The Department for Civil Aviation (DCA) announced that the landing of international flights at Yangon International Airport was barred starting from the midnight of March 30 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus.
The cargo flights will be operated to prevent the shortage of consumer goods. Only the cargos will be included in the flights and passengers cannot board on the cargo planes.
The cargo flights will be operated on April 3, 8, 11, 22, 25 and 29.
Although international flights are barred, aid cargo planes, planes carrying medical equipment and planes allowed by special permission from the DCA will not be included in the ban. The crews from those planes landed overnight at the YIA will be kept in quarantine in line with disciplines set by the Ministry of Health and Sports, it said.
The announcement will be effected from the midnight of March 30 to midnight of April 13.
“The ban will be in effect till the midnight of April 13 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus via air travel. The announcement is made after the instruction from the WHO and Ministry of Health and Sports,” said Kyaw Myo, Deputy Minister for Transportation and Communications.
