Himalaya Airlines on Friday launched scheduled commercial flights to Yangon, Myanmar, its fourth destination since the operations started last year.

The airline said the flight to Myanmar is part of their initiative to strengthen direct connections with around 300,000 people of Nepali origin residing there.

The flight took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:55 (local time) and touched down at Yangon International Airport, Yangon, at 14:15 (local time).

With the launch of twice weekly (Mondays and Fridays) flights, Himalaya Airlines has re-established direct links with Myanmar after a long gap. Previously, Union of Burma Airways used to operate flights between Yangon and Kathmandu.

Myanmar’s Ambassador to Nepal Lwin Oo, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya and Himalaya Airlines Vice President- Administration Vijay Shrestha were also onboard among passengers of the first flight.

The airline said 90-year-old Sukhdev Poudel and 84-year-old Sushila Bhandari were also among the passengers travelling to Myanmar after 40 years. “We are thrilled to mark another milestone in our commitment to serve Nepali tourism industry by increasing Nepal’s air connectivity in Asiatic region,” said Shrestha. “With the launch of this route, Himalaya Airlines will enhance its network by providing more choices for travellers in Myanmar and Nepal to conveniently connect within the countries,” he said.

“We are confident we will be able to further position Yangon as a preferred destination through our marketing efforts to promote this route.”

The roundtrip fare starts from Rs29,600, excluding government taxes. The airline has appointed Unique Asia Travel & Tours as its general sales agents (GSA) for Myanmar.

According to government statistics, Myanmar is among the top seven tourist source markets for Nepal. Last year, Nepal received 25,769 tourists from Myanmar, with a majority of them entering the country overland. Among them, 15,284 visited Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.

The company plans to link various Asian and Middle Eastern cities initially. It expects to acquire 15 Airbus aircraft, including long-haul A330 wide body jets, to expand operations to Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia and America in the next five years.