GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has announced at a press conference prior to the 2014 Singapore Air Show, it has signed a contract with Myanma Airways (formerly Union of Burma Airways) (Yangon), the flag carrier of Myanmar, to lease 10 new Boeing narrow bodies. Deliveries of the new leased aircraft are scheduled to begin in June 2015 and come from GECAS’ existing order book with Boeing. The contract calls for six Boeing 737-800 models and four Boeing 737-8 MAX models. The aircraft will be delivered through 2020.

Established in 1948 as Union of Burma Airways, Myanma Airways is the state-owned airline of Myanmar, currently serving all major domestic destinations from its main base at Yangon International Airport.

This is a major expansion for the flag carrier as the country begins to blossom under new civilian leadership.

Myanma Airways currently operates a pair of Embraer 190s (also leased from GECAS) and a diverse turboprop fleet of ATR 42s and 72s, Beech 1900s, Cessna 208B Grand Caravans and Xian MA60s.

Image: GECAS.