Myanmar will allow domestic flights to resume from December 16, the government said on Saturday.
The flights will operate under health and safety guidelines from the government’s Covid-19 committee and the Ministry of Health and Sports, according to the notice from the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ Department of Civil Aviation.
Hours after the announcement, state carrier Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) released its flight schedule for the rest of the month. The airline will service routes to Kachin, Shan, Rakhine and Kayah states as well as Tanintharyi region and Naypyidaw. The government has not yet clarified whether passengers will be expected to quarantine.
MNA, however, has on its website instructions posted on September 3 saying that travellers must carry a recommendation letter from their township authorities. Passengers from townships under stay-at-home orders—which cover almost all of Yangon region—will be subject to 14 days quarantine on arrival, according to MNA.
The government ordered a halt to domestic flights in September amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Update: The Ministry of Health and Sports have since released guidelines stating that passengers on domestic airlines must be tested 36 hours before the flight at a private clinic or hospital, and present a certificate showing a negative result before boarding.
