Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) has suspended some flights operating from Kale Town, situated at the foothills of the Chin Hills in Sagaing Region, to Myanmar’s major cities of Yangon and Mandalay.
MNA has halted all services operating under four-digit flight numbers, including routes between Kale and Yangon, while flights bearing three-digit number codes continue to operate as scheduled.
Other carriers, including Myanmar Airways International (MAI), also maintain regular flights to and from Kale Town, according to air ticket sales agents.
“MNA’s flights with four-digit UB codes have been suspended, but the three-digit code flights are still running as usual. It’s not clear when the suspended flights will resume, and the airline has already refunded passengers who booked tickets in advance,” an agent told Chin World.
On February 20, a drone attack damaged an MNA aircraft at Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State. The following day, MNA indefinitely suspended some flights to Kale Town.
Currently, MNA’s flights with three-digit UB codes, along with MAI and Air KBZ services, continue to operate to Kale, Mandalay, and Yangon. Ticket prices are 530,000 MMK for Kale–Mandalay and 709,000 MMK for Kale–Yangon.
Since the 2021 coup, residents of Kale and Tamu townships in Sagaing Region, along with nearby communities in Chin State, have struggled with road closures and security risks while traveling, making air travel an increasingly essential option.
