The Myanmar aviation authorities will increase the airport tax of the Yangon International Airport to 3,000 Kyats (about 3 U.S. dollars), which is six times the previous rate of 500 kyats, starting July 1 this year, sources with airline industry said on Wednesday.

The new tax rate will be collected for Myanmar citizen passengers taking flights while the original tax rate of 10 dollars for foreign passenger remains unchanged, the sources said.

The raising of the airport tax is due to increased cost for installing new digital machines at the arrival and departure lounges for rapid service, it said.

The annual cost for such formalities is estimated at 300 million kyats (about 300,000 dollars).

Meanwhile, a Myanmar private company — the Asia World — will take over the ground handling service of the Yangon International Airport, an earlier report said.

Before the handover of the technical-related business by the airport authorities, two private airlines — Myanmar Airways International (MAI) and Air Bagan are still handling the ground work.

Yangon International Airport was built in 1957 and the new terminal was constructed in 2003 by the Asia World Company.

Yangon international airport received over 251,800 foreign tourists in the fiscal year 2009-2010, according to statistics.

There is one Myanmar international airline and 13 foreign airlines operating between Yangon and nine destinations, namely Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing via Kunming, Guangzhou, Calcutta, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Doha and Hanoi.

The 13 foreign airlines flying Yangon comprise Air China, China Southern Airlines, Thai Airways International, Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, Malaysian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Mandarin, Jetstar Asia, Phuket Airline, Thai Air Asia and Vietnam Airlines.

Source:Xinhua