Locals are urging authorities to investigate the steep rise in flight prices to Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.

Airfares for one-way flights connecting Myitkyina with Mandalay or Yangon, Myanmar's two major cities, have risen from 1.3 million to 1.7 million MMK, according to a Myitkyina resident, as no official ticket prices have been set.

“Ticket prices are extremely high, ranging from 1.3 million to 1.7 million MMK. They also tend to be more expensive the closer you get to the travel date. There’s no clear official fare, and no one can say exactly what it should be. Even if we want to buy a ticket, there’s no guarantee we’ll actually get one,” he told KNG.

A passenger who flew from Yangon to Myitkyina on April 19 said he paid 900,000 MMK for a ticket, while another passenger on the same route on April 24 reported paying 1.3 million MMK.

Air ticket prices are rising daily, with fares remaining unstable and varying from passenger to passenger, Myitkyina residents complained.

“No one really knows what procedures are used to sell the tickets. Something definitely needs to be adjusted,” a man who recently returned to Myitkyina from Yangon said.

It is also very difficult to obtain plane tickets; passengers reportedly have to wait at least a month even when purchasing in advance.

Domestic airlines have also announced that all flights to Myitkyina are sold out until the end of May, while tickets for June have not yet been made available.

A Myitkyina resident said she understood the official fare for a Myitkyina–Mandalay flight to be around 800,000 MMK and about 1 million MMK for Myitkyina–Yangon, but added that tickets are being resold on the black market at much higher prices, making travel difficult.

“I’m waiting to see if ticket prices go down in June. I really can’t afford the current fares—they’re too expensive. At this rate, I could even buy tickets for three international flights,” she said.

Locals are calling on authorities to take action against the black market amid soaring airfare prices.

Inbound and outbound flights to Myitkyina are currently operated daily on a rotational basis by Myanmar Airways International (MAI), Air Thanlwin, Mann Yadanarpon, and Air Mingalar.

At around 8:30 p.m. on February 20, a Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) ATR 72-600 passenger aircraft was struck by a drone while on the runway at Myitkyina Airport as it was preparing to take off for Mandalay. The following day, the junta suspended all flights to and from Myitkyina.

Flights resumed on April 5 after more than a month-long hiatus.