IndiGo has started daily direct flights from Kolkata to Yangon, marking the first of the many additional services between India and Myanmar that the Indian low-cost carrier is considering.

The service is expected to enhance the air links between Myanmar and India – two countries which enjoy rich historical and cultural ties.

The inaugural flight, operated with an A320 , took off September 20 in Kolkata with a flying time of two to two-and-a-half hours each way. 

"The additional flight follows recent promotions by YACL, Myanmar Tourism Marketing and IndiGo to promote air links targeted at commercial passengers as well as Buddhist pilgrims from Myanmar visiting sacred sites in India," a statement from Yangon Aerodrome Company Limited (YACL), operator of Yangon International Airport, said.

Myanmar is home to a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Buddhist temples and monasteries such as the Bodha Gaya and Indian pilgrims to temples and monasteries including the Shwedagon Pagoda and the ancient city of Bagan.

“IndiGo is the largest passenger airline in India by fleet size and I am pleased that they will be operating here at Yangon International Airport ... We are very confident that IndiGo air will contribute to the development of tourism as well as trade and commerce between India and Myanmar,” said  H.E U Kyaw Myo, deputy minister for the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

“You will see IndiGo’s first scheduled flight in Yangon, but don’t think it will be our only flight; we will be adding as much as we can,” IndiGo's chief commercial officer William Boulter said.

Apart from Yangon, IndiGo has also commenced flights to Istanbul, Jeddah and Chengdu. In October, the low-cost airline will commence flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Riyadh.

IndiGo has a total destination count of 80 with 58 domestic destinations and 22 international routes. Its fleet has 240 aircraft.