Burma will upgrade two airports to international status

Burma is planning to create two more international airports, one in Bago to serve central Burma, and one at the Dawei deep-sea port project in the south, according to Civil Aviation Department officials. Both airports, which already exist, will be upgraded to international standards

Foreign investment is invited, most probably from Japan and Singapore, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The two planned airport upgrades will become the Hanthawaddy International Airport in central Bago region, about 80 kilometres from Rangoon, and the Dawei International Airport at the Dawei deep-sea port in southern Tanintharyi Region.

The existing Dawei domestic airport will be upgraded to international status within three years at a cost of about US$ 4 million, officials at the Civil Aviation Department were quoted as saying.

The Italian-Thai Development Public Company is now expanding the Dawei airport runway and expansion of other facilities will follow, said the news agency.

At present, Burma has three international airports, and 29 regional airports; international airports are located in Rangoon, Naypyitaw and Mandalay.

Construction of the Dawei deep-sea port and industrial zone with road and rail links to Thailand is now underway. The project, which is estimated to cost $13 billion, is projected to be completed in 10 years in three phases.