Airfare in Arakan State soars by nearly K300,000 amid rising travel demand

By Admin 19 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

19 January 2026, Sittwe

Locals in Arakan State report that air ticket prices on the Sittwe-Kyaukphyu-Yangon routes in 2026 have increased by nearly K300,000 compared to 2025, causing financial strain for many residents.

Tickets sold at airline offices cost K550,000 for the Sittwe-Yangon route and over K700,000 for Yangon-Sittwe flights. In 2025, the same routes were priced at K350,000 and K450,000, respectively.

Prices have been gradually rising since November 2025. Sittwe residents say current flight fares have surpassed K600,000 for both directions.

A local woman in Sittwe said, "I think flight prices have gone up because there are so many people traveling from Sittwe to Yangon. There are also more checks at airports than before."

Tickets from Kyaukphyu to Yangon and Yangon to Kyaukphyu are around K600,000 at airline offices, while fares outside the country can reach K100,000.

A Kyaukphyu resident said, "In Kyaukphyu, we haven't been able to get plane tickets for about 12 months. I think it's because more people are going to Yangon as the fighting gets closer to the city. Some of them are taking boats from a Chinese company on Maday Island to Yangon. But the Chinese only allow Maday Island locals to go."

Airfare for Kyaukphyu-Yangon flights also rose toward the end of last year. For most of 2025, tickets were just over K500,000.

Since mid-2024, many Sittwe residents have left areas controlled by the Arakan Army by land and sea, while others have fled to mainland Myanmar by air. The military regime has blocked all land and sea routes in Arakan State, leaving air travel as the only option.

Fighting between the military regime and the Arakan Army remains intense in Sittwe and near Kyaukphyu Township.