Myanmar Airways International (MAI) launched its maiden flight between Yangon, Myanmar and Guangzhou, China on Thursday to boost exchange between the two cities, sources with the airline said.

Using Air Bus A-320, the flight will operate biweekly and special package tour will be planned later, it said.

The MAI represents another airline that link Yangon with the Chinese southern city after China Southern Airlines.

Another newly-bought A-320 aircraft of MAI, expected to arrive later this month, will be used to fly the routes of Yangon-New Delhi and Singapore-Jakarta-Singapore, while the A-330 aircraft, anticipated to reach by October, will be used to fly South Korea, Japan, United Arab Emirate and Qatar.

At present, MAI operates with three airbus of A-320 and one airbus of A-321 to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Gaya and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat).

On Feb. 23, the MAI launched its inaugural flight between Yangon and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), an ancient city of Cambodia, offering biweekly flights on Wednesday and Saturday.

The private-run MAI was once a joint venture set up by the state-run Myanmar Airways and a Singapore-based company in 1993.

In 2007, the Region Air of China's Hong Kong took over the stake from the Singapore's with 49 percent held by it, while the remainder 51 percent possessed by the state-run Myanmar Airways.

In May 2010, a giant Myanmar private company group, Kanbawza, took over the MAI for continuous operation under the government's privatization plan, buying up 80 percent stake of the airline with the remainder continued to be held by the government.

Besides the MAI flying internationally as Myanmar's national flag carrier, there are also 13 foreign airlines flying Yangon which comprise Air China, China Southern Airline, Thai Airways International, Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, Malaysian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Mandarin, Jetstar Asia, Phuket Airline, Thai Air Asia and Vietnam Airlines.

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