Domodedovo Airport in Moscow has signed an agreement with Myanmar Airways International (MAI) "to ensure the successful development of the tourist flow between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar".
MAI "aims to facilitate this traffic by offering flight options between both countries," according to a statement by the airport, which said the carrier was "confirming its intention to consider Moscow Domodedovo Airport as its potential airport partner".
Russia and Myanmar are under political and economic sanctions, including measures affecting travel and aviation, by Western governments. The measures targeting Russia were imposed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, while those against Myanmar, also known as Burma, were imposed after the army seized power a year earlier and launched savage reprisals against opponents of the coup.
UK-based non-governmental organisations Amnesty International and Global Witness said in early March that companies in Greece, India, Japan and Singapore were breaking sanctions related to Myanmar by supplying the military-ruled south-east Asian country with aviation fuel, which the NGOs said was being used by the junta's air force to bomb civilian targets.