Myanmar Gears Up For 20% Annual Growth With New Systems From Air ...

New Delhi – 13 June 2013 – Yangon International Airport (YIA) in Myanmar is gearing up for projected 20% annual growth with new common-use systems from air transport IT specialist, SITA, as the country welcomes more visitors and international airlines. SITA is providing its industry-leading AirportConnect Open system, which enables airlines from around the world to easily use the airport’s check-in counters and gate resources. As part of the AirportConnect Open delivery, SITA is also supplying the country’s first self-service check-in kiosks, which will offer passengers quick and easy check-in.

The recent investment in the airport’s infrastructure comes as Myanmar prepares for a surge of visitors for the 27^th South East Asian Games, which the country will host in November 2013.

U Win Ko, General Manager, Yangon International Airport said: “Since 2008, passenger numbers at Yangon Airport have nearly doubled to three million, and by 2015, we expect to handle more than five million passengers annually. Over the last year, we have seen the airport grow from 14 to 22 airlines, which means we need to increase our capacity immediately, while also planning for the future. The combination of SITA’s global industry experience and its world-class common use systems makes SITA the ideal partner to help us manage this period of tremendous growth, while ensuring we remain up-to-date with the latest technology and industry standards.”

Ilya Gutlin, SITA President Asia-Pacific, said: “Myanmar is poised to become Asia’s next big aviation market.  The airport’s new common-use system will help maximize its current infrastructure and provide world-class service to international airlines, while facilitating more efficient passenger flows and improving service levels. This will put the airport in an excellent position to welcome new entrants and will help set the stage for the significant growth expected in the future.”

With SITA AirportConnect Open, Yangon International Airport will enjoy a cost-effective common-use solution that helps facilitate passenger check-in and boarding processes for the 22 international airlines currently serving the airport. In addition, airlines considering flying to Myanmar can be assured that they can run their applications on SITA’s proven common-use infrastructure. Yangon will now have common-use facilities, which staff from all airlines can use interchangeably, including 30 new check-in counters and six new boarding gates. Passengers will also be able to check-in at any of the 10 new common-use self-service kiosks provided by SITA. 

SITA’s AirportConnect Open enjoys more than 70% market share among airports globally that have implemented common user infrastructure. More than 300 airlines use SITA’s AirportConnect Open to process millions of passengers every day in more than 400 airports worldwide.

SITA has operated a telecommunications network in Myanmar since 1969, providing mission critical telecommunications, information processing and value added solutions to air transport community users in Myanmar.

Yangon International Airport is Myanmar’s main international airport and the second-largest airport in the country. It serves seven domestic airlines and 22 international airlines including Qatar, Malaysia Airlines, Air India and Air China. In 2012, YIA handled three million passengers.