Mingalar Aviation Services (Burmese: မင်္ဂလာ လေကြောင်းပို့ဆောင်ရေးလုပ်ငန်း) formerly known as Air Kanbawza or Air KBZ, is a privately owned domestic airline in Myanmar based in Yangon. It was established in June 2010 as Air Kanbawza and officially rebranded itself as Mingalar on 6 January 2024.[1] The airline began operations with domestic scheduled services from Yangon, Myanmar on 2 April 2011.[2] In 2015 Air KBZ began codesharing international flights with its partner Myanmar Airways International, and on 2 December 2016 Air KBZ itself expanded internationally, launching its first scheduled service outside Myanmar with flights connecting Yangon and Chiang Mai in neighboring Thailand.[3]
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| Founded | June 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 2 April 2011 | ||||||
| Hubs | Yangon International Airport | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Mandalay International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Sky Smile Frequent Flyer Program | ||||||
| Fleet size | 2 | ||||||
| Destinations | 13 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Yangon, Myanmar | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
In December 2023, KBZ completed its exit from Air KBZ. On January 6, 2024, the new owner launched a rebranding initiative, renaming the airline to Mingalar Aviation Services ("Mingalar").[4]
Destinations
editMingalar Aviation Services serves the following destinations as of January 2024:
| Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Imphal | Imphal Airport | Charter | [5] |
| Myanmar | Bagan | Nyaung U Airport | [6] | |
| Dawei | Dawei Airport | [7] | ||
| Heho | Heho Airport | [6] | ||
| Kalaymyo | Kalaymyo Airport | Terminated | ||
| Kawthaung | Kawthaung Airport | [7] | ||
| Kengtung | Kengtung Airport | [8] | ||
| Khamti | Khamti Airport | Terminated | ||
| Kyaukpyu | Kyaukpyu Airport | [9] | ||
| Lashio | Lashio Airport | [10] | ||
| Loikaw | Loikaw Airport | Terminated | ||
| Mandalay | Mandalay International Airport | Hub | ||
| Myitkyina | Myitkyina Airport | [11] | ||
| Nay Pyi Taw | Nay Pyi Taw International Airport | Terminated | ||
| Putao | Putao Airport | [11] | ||
| Sittwe | Sittwe Airport | [12] | ||
| Tachilek | Tachilek Airport | Terminated | ||
| Thandwe | Thandwe Airport | [13] | ||
| Yangon | Yangon International Airport | Hub | ||
| Thailand | Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai International Airport | Terminated |
Codeshare agreements
editMingalar Aviation Services has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
Fleet
editCurrent fleet
editAs of January 2024, the Mingalar Aviation Services fleet consists of the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-600 | 4 | ||
| Total | 4 |
Former fleet
editThe airline previously operated the following aircraft under the name of Air KBZ (as of April 2024):[15]
- 6 ATR 72-500
- 5 ATR 72-600, 1 sold to Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
Sponsorships
editIn 2014, Mingalar Aviation Services started sponsoring Myanmar's national sport, Lethwei. The event is called the Air KBZ Aung Lan Golden Belt Championship, and is held at Thein Phyu Stadium in Yangon.[16]
References
edit- ^ "About Us". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ launched domestic scheduled services from Yangon, Myanmar on 2 April 2011". ATR Aircraft. Archived from the original on 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ^ "Airline Review - Air KBZ". Destination Travel. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Air KBZ changes its name to Mingala Airlines". Eleven Media Group Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ "Imphal-Mandalay flight from November 23". NorthEast Today. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 212: Bagan/Nyaung-u - Yangon via Heho". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 323: Yangon - Kawthaung via Dawei". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 827: Kengtung - Yangon via Heho". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 412: Kyaukpyu - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 849: Lashio - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 636: Multiple routes". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 425: Sittwe - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 429: Thandwe - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Fleet Details and History". airfleets.net. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2018 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2018): 21.
- ^ Kyaw Zin Hlaing (13 December 2016). "Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave'". Myanmar Times.
