Myanmar's largest airport to be upgraded soon

Myanmar's largest Mandalay International Airport will be upgraded for smooth transport of people through aviation services of airlines, local press reported Saturday. For upgrading tasks of Mandalay International Airport, proposals are invited from local companies and the eligible company will be assigned duty, the Department of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transport was quoted as saying. The runway of Mandalay International Airport is the longest facility in South-East Asian region and it can handle about 3 million passengers on departure and arrival yearly. Mandalay International Airport at which Boeing planes can land and take off was opened in September 2000. Besides the three existing international airports -- Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, there are also 29 regional airports in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the construction tasks of Hanthawady International Airport, which lies in central Bago region, will commence in July this year and a plan is set to complete the project in 2016.