AS the low tourist season starts in Myanmar, domestic airlines are seeking ways to boost passenger numbers.

Yangon Airways is planning to target foreign visitors with the introduction in July of an electronic ticketing system in collaboration with four overseas travel agents.

“We introduced domestic e-ticketing in August 2007 in partnership with our passenger sales agent in Myanmar, Shan Yoma Tours Company,” said a spokesperson from Yangon Airways.

“Now we will work with four travel agents in Germany, Brunei, Hong Kong and Bangkok to launch an e-ticketing system for overseas clients,” he said, adding that passengers will be able to purchase the tickets directly through the overseas agents.

Currently the airline is working with three travel agents in Bangkok and 40 to 50 agents in Myanmar.

Yangon Airways also participated as a seller in the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2009, held from June 3 to 7 in Bangkok.

“We approached the travel market by making appointments in advance with international travel agencies and tour operators to discuss future cooperation,” said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Air Mandalay is currently using an ATR-72 aircraft for domestic flight service and is purchasing a new engine from Canada for its ATR-42 aircraft, said a stakeholder in the domestic airline industry.

“After the new engine is installed, the aircraft will be delivered to Bangkok for proper maintenance before it is used to resume flights between Yangon and Chiang Mai on August 2,” he said.

The flights will be offered on Fridays and Mondays, departing Yangon at 4:30pm and touching down in Chiang Mai at 6:10pm. The return leg will leave Chiang Mai at 6:55pm and arrive in Yangon at 7:35pm.

Air Mandalay had suspended its flights between Yangon and Chiang Mai in 2008 due to low passenger numbers and the availability of only one aircraft for domestic service.

The stakeholder said that Air Mandalay, in collaboration with Sun Far Travels and Tours Company, has since May 22 been offering roundtrip Mandalay-Bhamo charter flights on Fridays and Sundays.

Although most hotels at Ngapali beach have closed for monsoon season, Air Mandalay continues to offer flights to nearby Thandwe on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More popular are the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday flights to Sittwe in Rakhine State.

“The passengers to Sittwe are local business travellers, NGO workers and foreign visitors who are heading to Mrauk U,” the stakeholder said. “Tachileik, Dawei and Myeik are also popular destinations for local visitors in low season.”

The spokesperson from Yangon Airways said Tachileik, Heho and Mandalay attracted local travellers during the low season.