All domestic private airlines in Myanmar have joined in flying the new administrative capital of Pyinmana Naypyidaw (Royal capital city) from Yangon to reinforce transport to the area, private airline sources told Xinhua news agency on Monday. Following the inaugural flight to Pyinmana Naypyidaw by the Air Bagan on March 1, two other private airlines such as Yangon Airways and Air Mandalay joined the air route on March 15 providing flight services daily in turns with the Air Bagan, the sources said.

Previously, the state-run domestic airline, Myanmar Airways, was the sole airline undertaking daily flights to Pyinmana Naypyidaw since late last year.

Meanwhile, the construction of an 8-lane 21.4-kilometer motor road , directly linking the area where government ministries are relocated with the Alar airport, is underway and is expected to complete by the end of this year, other reports said.

The Myanmar government began on Nov. 6 last year shifting its administrative capital from Yangon to Pyinmana, a plain land in the central part with mountain ranges in the west and the east and 390 kilometers north of Yangon, with an aim that the move will enable more effective administration over the whole nation from the central part.

With almost all ministries having been moved out from Yangon, government office work in Pyinmana is functioning normally since the work started on Feb. 7, local reports said.

With the move of capital, expansion of the “Pyinmana special region development project” is underway. Especially in the months following the November up to now, momentum of the construction work in the Pyinmana Naypyidaw and nearby area has been in full swing with almost all financially strong private construction companies including Htoo, Max Myanmar, Asia World, Adin, Ngwezin and Shwethanlwin being engaged in the major new capital development project.

In the latest development, six more new hotels were added this month bringing the total to eight in the new capital to facilitate travellers on official businesses with the government ministries.

However, analysts said the relocation of Myanmar’s capital to Pyinmana would not change the status of Yangon as the country’s commercial hub out of its geographical position as a port city.
——-