Manaung Public Company proposes to extend Manaung Airport runway

By DMG 19 Nov 2021

DMG Newsroom
19 November 2021, Manaung 

Manaung Public Company has submitted a proposal to the government to extend the runway at Manaung Airport in Arakan State. 

U Tun Hlaing, managing director of Manaung Public Company, said the airport’s existing runway was short and thus difficult for large planes to use. 

“We’ve submitted to the government to extend the runway. I think it will be extended within a year,” he told DMG. 

Manaung Public Company previously operated flight services for a Yangon-Manaung-Sittwe-Kyaukphyu route with a 10-passenger aircraft from Myanmar National Airlines. 

However, it suspended the route due to weather issues and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Manaung Island is located 87 nautical miles south of Kyaukphyu town and spans 220 square miles, including sand beach shorelines. 

A Manaung Island ecotourism project was recently completed but the number of travellers to the island might be limited for the moment because there are no scheduled flights to Manaung, said U Tun Hlaing. 

“The airport [runway] needs to be extended to land large planes, so that more visitors can travel to the island,” he said. 

Express boat service will be provided on a route connecting Manaung, Ngapali and Kyaukphyu when the Manaung Island ecotourism initiative opens to visitors properly, Manaung Public Company said. 

Hotel zones, community-based tourism and resorts are included in the nature-based tourism plan for Manaung Island.