A Myanmar private airline, the Air Bagan, has planned to introduce international flight services starting December in addition to domestic ones, the local Yangon Times reported Wednesday.

As the first phase of its international flight services, the Air Bagan will stretch wings to three member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, and negotiation is underway for buying two 220-seat airbuses of A-310 from the China Eastern Airline for use in the newly introduced flight services, the report said.

The Air Bagan is the first full private investment airline in Myanmar having four aircraft and two leased from the Ministry of Transport totaling six in domestic flight operation, it said.

The airline has a crew of 79 including one foreign and 33 pilots, and 45 airline stewards and air hostesses, the report added.

The Air Bagan, owned by the Htoo Company of Myanmar national and was inaugurated in November 2004, has been flying between Yangon and 14 domestic destinations including Mandalay, Nyaung U, Heho, Thanthwe, Kengtung, Tachilek, Myeik, Kawthoung, Sittwe and Myitkyina, using one 108-seat Fokker-100 aircraft, two France-made 70-seat ATR-72 aircraft and three 46-seat ATR-42 aircraft.

The Air Bagan is also the third largest domestic airline after Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways, while the Myanma Airways remains as the state-run domestic air carrier. The Air Mandalay has extended its flight to Thailand's Chiang Mai as a regional one.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2006)