Mandalay International Airport
Encyclopedia
Mandalay International Airport , located 35 km south of Mandalay
in Tada-U, is one of only two international airports in Burma. Completed in 1999, the airport is the largest and most modern airport in the country, complete with a 14,000-foot (4267-m) runway and capacity to handle up to 3 million passengers a year.
The airport receives mainly domestic flights, with the exception of international flights to Kunming
, China
.
, the nearest town being Tada-U. The journey from the airport to the city center of Mandalay
takes approximately an hour by car.
The concrete runway at Mandalay Airport is 14,000 feet (4267 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide, and long enough for any size of commercial aircraft to land. The car-park can accommodate 700 vehicles.
The terminal is fitted with air conditioning, fire protection and emergency power generating systems. It is also equipped with six passenger lifts, one freight lift, three escalators and a baggage handling system. Three out of the six passenger boarding bridges can handle modern Boeing 747-400
aircraft. There is sufficient space for ten aircraft to anchor, and at a rate of 8 minutes per plane, aircraft of any size and make can touch down or take off to any destination abroad. MAGS (Mandalay Airport Ground Services) provides both passenger and cargo aircraft ground services.
Systems incorporated into the airport include VHF and HF SSB transmitters and receivers, a voice communication control system, an automatic terminal information system (ATIS), and an aeronautical fixed telecommunications network. The air traffic control tower is equipped with a variety of radar and navigation systems.
Passenger Facilities: 36 check-in desks, 8 gates, 6 air-bridges, 3 baggage claim belts, 11 short-term parking spaces, 6 long-term parking spaces, Post Office, Bank, Bureau de Change
, Restaurant, VIP Lounge, Duty Free Shop, Newsagent/Tobacconists, Travel Agent, Tourist Help Desk, Car Rental
in the mid 1990s as a way to increase overall levels of foreign investment and tourism in Burma. With Yangon
boasting the only other international airport for the whole country, the new Mandalay airport was regarded as crucial in achieving a planned passenger growth of 10% year on year. The hope was for Mandalay to become a hub for flights to other major Asian cities, in particular Beijing
, Hanoi
, Bangkok
, Calcutta and Dhaka
.
Construction of the airport began in 1996, and the airport was officially opened in September 2000 at a cost of US$150 million. The project was financed through a long-term loan from the Thai ExIm Bank.
The largest and most modern international airport in Burma has never met the high expectations; instead it has come to represent the military junta's money-wasting white elephant
projects. The much-expected passenger growth has yet to materialize due to the continued international boycott of Burma as a tourist destination. This has negatively impacted upon the number of people traveling to and from the country, and will continue to affect the ability of Mandalay airport operating to its full capacity. Further development projects at Mandalay Airport and other parts of the country, are undermined by this situation which seems unlikely to improve in the near future.
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
in Tada-U, is one of only two international airports in Burma. Completed in 1999, the airport is the largest and most modern airport in the country, complete with a 14,000-foot (4267-m) runway and capacity to handle up to 3 million passengers a year.
The airport receives mainly domestic flights, with the exception of international flights to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Airlines and destinations
Airport facilities
Opened on 17 September 2000, the terminal building can handle 1000 passenger arrivals and 1000 passenger departures per hour. The capacity of the airport is estimated to be three million passengers per annum, with expansion capacity to more than 15 million. The site occupies a total area of 25,015 acres (10,123 hectares) and is located in central Burma about 21 miles (35 km) south of MandalayMandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, the nearest town being Tada-U. The journey from the airport to the city center of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
takes approximately an hour by car.
The concrete runway at Mandalay Airport is 14,000 feet (4267 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide, and long enough for any size of commercial aircraft to land. The car-park can accommodate 700 vehicles.
The terminal is fitted with air conditioning, fire protection and emergency power generating systems. It is also equipped with six passenger lifts, one freight lift, three escalators and a baggage handling system. Three out of the six passenger boarding bridges can handle modern Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
aircraft. There is sufficient space for ten aircraft to anchor, and at a rate of 8 minutes per plane, aircraft of any size and make can touch down or take off to any destination abroad. MAGS (Mandalay Airport Ground Services) provides both passenger and cargo aircraft ground services.
Systems incorporated into the airport include VHF and HF SSB transmitters and receivers, a voice communication control system, an automatic terminal information system (ATIS), and an aeronautical fixed telecommunications network. The air traffic control tower is equipped with a variety of radar and navigation systems.
Passenger Facilities: 36 check-in desks, 8 gates, 6 air-bridges, 3 baggage claim belts, 11 short-term parking spaces, 6 long-term parking spaces, Post Office, Bank, Bureau de Change
Bureau de Change
A bureau de change or currency exchange is a business whose customers exchange one currency for another. Although originally French, the term bureau de change is widely used throughout Europe, and European travellers can usually easily identify these facilities when in other European countries...
, Restaurant, VIP Lounge, Duty Free Shop, Newsagent/Tobacconists, Travel Agent, Tourist Help Desk, Car Rental
History
The Mandalay International Airport project was first conceived by the Burmese military governmentState Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
in the mid 1990s as a way to increase overall levels of foreign investment and tourism in Burma. With Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
boasting the only other international airport for the whole country, the new Mandalay airport was regarded as crucial in achieving a planned passenger growth of 10% year on year. The hope was for Mandalay to become a hub for flights to other major Asian cities, in particular Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Calcutta and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
.
Construction of the airport began in 1996, and the airport was officially opened in September 2000 at a cost of US$150 million. The project was financed through a long-term loan from the Thai ExIm Bank.
The largest and most modern international airport in Burma has never met the high expectations; instead it has come to represent the military junta's money-wasting white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
projects. The much-expected passenger growth has yet to materialize due to the continued international boycott of Burma as a tourist destination. This has negatively impacted upon the number of people traveling to and from the country, and will continue to affect the ability of Mandalay airport operating to its full capacity. Further development projects at Mandalay Airport and other parts of the country, are undermined by this situation which seems unlikely to improve in the near future.