Mingalar Aviation Services
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| Founded | June 2010 (as Air KBZ) | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 2 April 2011 | ||||||
| Hubs | Yangon International Airport | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Mandalay International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Sky Smile Frequent Flyer Program | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 | ||||||
| Destinations | 15 | ||||||
| Parent company | 24 Hour Group of Companies | ||||||
| Headquarters | Yangon, Myanmar | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
Mingalar Aviation Services (Burmese: မင်္ဂလာ လေကြောင်းပို့ဆောင်ရေးလုပ်ငန်း) formerly known as Air Kanbawza or Air KBZ, is a privately owned domestic airline in Myanmar based in Yangon.
History
[edit]The airline was established in June 2010 as Air Kanbawza by KBZ Group of Companies, then owned by Aung Ko Win.[1][2] The airline began operations with domestic scheduled services from Yangon, Myanmar on 2 April 2011.[3] In 2015 Air KBZ began codesharing international flights with its partner Myanmar Airways International, and on 2 December 2016, Air KBZ itself expanded internationally, launching its first scheduled service outside Myanmar with flights connecting Yangon and Chiang Mai in neighboring Thailand.[4]
In late 2018, 24 Hour Group, owned by Aung Aung Zaw, bought Air KBZ.[1] In December 2023, KBZ completed its exit from Air KBZ. On 6 January 2024, the new owner launched a rebranding initiative, renaming the airline to Mingalar Aviation Services ("Mingalar").[5]
Destinations
[edit]Mingalar Aviation Services serves the following destinations as of January 2024:
Codeshare agreements
[edit]Mingalar Aviation Services has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
Fleet
[edit]Current fleet
[edit]As of August 2025[update], Mingalar Aviation Services operates the following aircraft:[15]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-600 | 4 | ||
| Total | 4 |
Former fleet
[edit]The airline previously operated the following aircraft under the name of Air KBZ (as of April 2024):[16]
- 6 ATR 72-500
- 5 ATR 72-600, 1 sold to Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
Sponsorships
[edit]In 2014, Mingalar Aviation Services started sponsoring Myanmar's national sport, lethwei. The event is called the Air KBZ Aung Lan Golden Belt Championship, and is held at Thein Phyu Stadium in Yangon.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Myanmar Junta Crony Rebrands Air Kanbawza as 'Mingalar'". The Irrawaddy. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
- ^ "About Us". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ launched domestic scheduled services from Yangon, Myanmar on 2 April 2011". ATR Aircraft. Archived from the original on 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ^ "Airline Review - Air KBZ". Destination Travel. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018.
- ^ "Air KBZ changes its name to Mingala Airlines". Eleven Media Group Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ "Imphal-Mandalay flight from November 23". NorthEast Today. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 212: Bagan/Nyaung-u - Yangon via Heho". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 323: Yangon - Kawthaung via Dawei". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 827: Kengtung - Yangon via Heho". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 412: Kyaukpyu - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 849: Lashio - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 636: Multiple routes". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 425: Sittwe - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Air KBZ Company Limited flight K7 429: Thandwe - Yangon". Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Mingalar". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 67.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2018 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2018): 21.
- ^ Kyaw Zin Hlaing (13 December 2016). "Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave'". Myanmar Times.
