An Airbus A319, An ATR 72 & A Deserted Airport: My Journey Through Myanmar During A Civil War

Published Oct 27, 2026, 10:44 AM EDT Aaron is an aviation enthusiast and world traveler with a deep interest in aerospace history and technology. He has traveled around the world numerous times, often incorporating visits to aviation museums and historic aircraft collections into his journeys. A native of New Zealand, he is an expert in aviation and maintains a broad interest in a variety of other subjects. Myanmar Airways International (MAI) is a privately owned full-service carrier of Myanmar (Burma), based in Yangon (Rangoon) in southern Myanmar. It is Myanmar's primary airline, offering international flights from its southern Yangon and northern Mandalay hubs. I flew with MAI in September and October 2026 from Bangkok's secondary Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) to Mandalay International Airport (MDL). Since 2021, Myanmar's airline industry has contracted, becoming more fragile and politically/strategically constrained, particularly with its domestic network. But it has not collapsed wholesale and remains operational. The privately owned Myanmar Airways International is not to be confused with the state-owned Myanmar National Airlines (MNA). MNA operates an even smaller fleet made up of eight ATR-72s and two Boeing 737-800s, of which half (four ATRs and one Boeing) are listed as parked. Here is what to know about flying with MAI in 2026, the state of Mandalay International Airport, and the immense challenges the airline faces to remain operational. Civil War Affecting Burmese Flights Credit: Aaron Spray As Myanmar is currently in an extremely complicated and protracted civil war, there are few international tourists visiting the country, and native Burmese generally lack the funds to travel. Very few airlines serve Myanmar's northern city of Mandalay, with China Eastern as one of the very few non-Burmese airlines operating flights there from its nearby hub of Kunming. More international airlines serve Yangon, including airlines from China, Korean Air, Air India, Singapore, Thai AirAsia, and some others. Unbeknownst to me at the time, but about the same time as I was booking the flights to Mandalay in early September, the main opposition group fighting the ruling military junta, the People's Defence Force (PDF), attacked the military side of the Mandalay Airport using drones for the first time. The group released footage of them attacking several junta Yak-130 jet trainer/light attack aircraft, with unclear results. Regardless, the airport was operating normally when I flew there around three weeks later. It should be noted that it is not advisable to visit Myanmar at this time. Most national travel advisories strongly advise against it. The US Department of State currently says, "Do not travel to Burma for any reason due to armed conflict, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, poor health infrastructure, landmines and unexploded ordnance, and crime." I have visited 100+ countries and habitually visit Level 4 countries and regions. Issues With Booking & Flight Delays Credit: Aaron Spray Flying with MIA marked the first time I used a third party (Booking.com in this case) to purchase the tickets with an airline specifically because I couldn't purchase the fares directly on the official website. I attempted to book the fare with both MasterCard and VISA and with banks in both the US and UK, but both were declined repeatedly. It is unclear why. There were no issues with booking the fares via Booking.com, which was partnering with GoToGate. Perhaps as a sign of how difficult it is for MIA to operate in its current challenging environment, both of my flights were delayed by more than an hour a week or two in advance, although they took off at the rescheduled time on the days of the flight. The return flight from Mandalay to Bangkok was also booked as an Airbus A319 but this was later swapped out for an ATR-72 turboprop. The flight is operated daily by MAI on the Bangkok Don Mueang route with Airbus A319s. The route to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is also operated daily by MAI with A319s. The scheduled flight time from Bangkok to Mandalay (Flight 8M362) is one hour and 50 minutes. Flying with MIA was reasonably typical for a short-haul full-service airline. On board, the airline served a light meal, including boxed juice and snacks. Seating Configurations Of MAI's Fleet Credit: Aaron Spray As a full-service airline, MAI's economy class fares include one personal item that fits under the seat, one carry-on bag (ostensibly up to 11 lbs or 5 kg; mine was more, with no issues), and a checked bag up to 44 lbs or 20 kg. Although MAI operates only six A319s, they come in different configurations. The newer C8Y132 configuration has eight business class seats and 132 economy class seats, for a total of 140 seats and an economy seat pitch of 30 inches (72 centimeters). The older C8Y105/C10Y120 configurations have eight or ten business class seats and 105 or 120 economy-class seats, respectively. Their economy seat pitch is around 32 inches (81 centimeters). The ATR 72-600s are meant to service domestic routes, but as I found, they can be brought in for international routes. They are configured with 68 seats, all in economy class. The seat pitch is around 30 inches (72 centimeters) with a seat width of around 17 inches (43 centimeters) in a 2-2 configuration. With the collapse of the tourist industry and various economic and political restrictions on domestic passengers, MAI's routes have typically gotten thinner. This is despite international airlines drawing down or withdrawing from the Myanmar market. The Limited MAI Fleet Credit: Aaron Spray Myanmar Airways International is a modest airline with a mainline fleet of 12 aircraft. According to Planespotters.net, its fleet is composed of three ATR-72s, six A319s, two A320s, and a single A321 cargo-configured aircraft. The fleet age is reasonably respectable considering the circumstances; the average age is 16.8 years. The ATR-72 fleet is the youngest at around nine years old, the A319 fleet now averages 20 years, the two A320s average 16 years, and the A321 freighter is 22 years old. MAI continues to connect Myanmar with select regional international destinations and various domestic destinations. The ongoing civil war has disrupted and shut down some domestic routes, and domestic routing can be dynamic. Overall, the airline serves around 30 destinations, mostly from its hub at Yangon, but also from Mandalay. The new capital, Naypyidaw, is less important. Myanmar Airways International (MAI) fleet Quantity (per Planespotters.net) Average age Number of seats ATR 72-600 3 9 years 68 Airbus A319 6 20 years 113-140 Airbus A320 2 16 years 170 Airbus A321 1 22 years Cargo The airline doesn't appear to have any aircraft on order. It may be difficult to secure needed financing for new Boeing and Airbus aircraft in the current context. The official MAI website also lists a non-specific number of Boeing 737-400F and Embraer 190 in service, although Planespotters.net records these are former aircraft with the last Embraer 190 departing in 2026. Mandalay International Airport Credit: Aaron Spray The eVisa process for Myanmar was straightforward, and passing through immigration was easy. Airline and airport staff, as well as immigration personnel, were friendly and welcoming. The Mandalay International Airport felt similar to many of the tourist attractions of Myanmar (e.g., Bagan, Inle Lake). The airport is functional but designed for much higher capacity. In Myanmar, foreign credit cards may or may not work. Taking crisp, clean, unmarked, and unfolded US dollars is recommended. The conversion rates can vary widely across the country. The rate at the airport is reasonable, being around the middle of the road. The rate in Mandalay is better, but in Bagan it's worse. My return flight during peak hours showed how deserted the airport was. During check-in, the power went out briefly as the backup system kicked in with a loud noise similar to Sci-Fi movies. Only a minority of the airport shops were open, perhaps around a third. There were restaurants, souvenir shops, and a bar open, so passengers could expect the usual shops at the departure gates. Only one section of the duty-free shop was open, with a very limited selection of alcohol and many empty shelves. Dozens or hundreds of tourists still pass through the airport daily, along with many Burmese often migrating for work, but it is only a fraction of what the airport terminal was obviously designed for. National Aviation Pressured On Every Side Credit: Aaron Spray Myanmar is a gem of a travel destination, but the ongoing civil war makes it not an advisable time to visit. The electricity is unstable, and only a relatively small percentage of the central region of the country is currently open to international tourists. Most businesses shut down around dusk, and most military-aged men avoid the streets after dark. I was told military-aged men should stay off the streets to avoid being forcibly drafted into the army. Even so, the primary tourist destinations, except the beach resort destination in Rakhine State, remain operational with reduced tourist services. When I visited Bagan, flights to the regional Bagan Airport were suspended. I was told this was due to a lack of aviation fuel in the country, though I couldn't confirm it. Bagan is around a five-hour shuttle bus ride from Mandalay and a longer bus ride from Yangon International Airport. One of the biggest constraints on the Burmese national aviation industry is the military's need for aviation fuel and the country's overall fuel shortage. The civil war has fragmented the country's commercial air network and reduced the number of relatively secure routes. The September 2026 attack on the military part of the Mandalay airport could suggest that even the core airports may now face attacks. For now, MAI continues to operate and adjust to a difficult operating environment.