Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have prompted successive establishment of air links with five countries or regions over the past month when most foreign airlines resumed flights after suspension for a lengthy period.

The five foreign airlines -- Korean Airlines (KAL) from South Korea, Qatar Airlines from the Middle East, EVA Airlines from China's Taipei, All Nippon Airways (ANA) from Japan and Singapore Airline (SIA) from Singapore launched their maiden flights one after another to Yangon in almost a single month's period.

Granted by Myanmar's Department of Civil Aviation, the KAL was launched near the end of September flying between Incheon and Yangon for thrice a week, while Qatar Airways, which had suspended flight for nearly four years since 2008, resumed flights between Doha and Yangon on October 14.

Qatar Airways' resumption, which flies three times a week, provides an easy access for visitors traveling from Myanmar to Europe, Africa and Middle East. It chooses A-319 and A-320 as its major air craft model, and a B-777 aircraft will be added due to increasing market demand.

Qatar Airways signed a bilateral airways contract with Myanmar's related departments in 2004 to start operating Doha-Yangon-Doha flight four times a week starting January 2005, and its service was terminated in January 2008.

The EVA airline, which is China's Taiwan's second largest carrier, launched a three-times-weekly direct flight between Taipei and Yangon on October 9, with MD-90 jets as its major air craft.

The introduction of the direct flight from the region is expected to bring more than 30 percent of EVA's future clients, most of whom are passengers from North America, to Myanmar via Taiwan.

The ANA, which had stopped its flight for 12 years, re-operated Narita-Yangon-Narita air route on Oct. 15 under scheduled flight for three times a week using Boeing 737-700ER aircraft and the charter flight of Tokyo-Yangon, Nay Pyi taw-Yangon-Hanoi-Tokyo will also be launched by using Boeing 767.

The resumption of regular ANA services has facilitated more Japanese entrepreneurs to tap into Myanmar's market.

For the past 12 years, Japanese visitors had to travel to Myanmar via Bangkok or Singapore when the airline suspended its Yangon flight.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched flight services to Yangon starting October 28, partly taking over its regional unit Silk Air. Using 323-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft, the SIA operate the daily flights.

Currently, Silk Air operates 16 flights a week to Yangon with single-aisle Airbus A320 and will continue to take nine of the flights after SIA starts its services.

SIA is the latest among international carriers that stretches wings to Yangon.

There are more foreign airlines, including the Hong Kong-based Dragon Air, Germany-based Condor Airlines and Trans Asia Airways, are preparing to fly to Myanmar in addition to the existing foreign ones.

Dragon Air, which is the internationally-recognized best regional operator, is set to operate direct flight between China's Hong Kong and Yangon on Jan.9, 2013, with departing flights on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's national carrier, the Myanmar Airways International (MAI), is also reported to launch direct flight between Yangon and China's Hong Kong before the end of this year.

At present, besides the Myanmar Airways International (MAI) flying internationally, foreign airlines linking Yangon have been added to 18 so far.

In addition to the 64-year-old state-operated domestic Myanmar Airways (MA), there are also five other private-run domestic airlines in Myanmar, namely Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.

After years of stagnation, change is coming to Myanmar at a rapid pace after the government took steps to liberalize the state- controlled economy and embarked on political reform, with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi winning the nation's parliamentary by-election in April.

In May 2012, the Obama administration decided to ease the ban on investments in Myanmar, a move that followed steps by the European Union and Australia to suspend sanctions, raising the prospect of a foreign investment boom in Myanmar.