Sittwe to Yangon air tickets increased by 3 to 4 times after most people left for Yangon due to war

Shwe Sin Win Thiet, Narinjara, October 25, 2026

On October 23rd, around 8:00 AM, the military dropped two bombs from a Y-12 aircraft onto Sittwe city. Following the attack, a large number of residents fled to Yangon, driving flight fares up by 3 to 4 times the normal rate.

While the standard airfare from Sittwe to Yangon is typically 525,000 kyats, current black market prices have soared to between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 kyats.

"Since the 24th of this month, plane ticket prices have been highly volatile, increasing by the day," a Sittwe resident reported. "Tickets are currently unavailable through standard channels; you can only buy them through brokers. People are paying anywhere from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 kyats. The prices vary by broker."

The influx of people fleeing Sittwe for Yangon includes NGO staff, families of state- and district-level government workers, as well as the families of military and police personnel, who are also flying to Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw.

"As long as people keep leaving Sittwe, flight prices will continue to climb," another resident noted. "The exodus is much larger than before. Those of us remaining in the city are closely watching who is left. Everyone is deeply anxious."

Meanwhile, airfares from Yangon to Sittwe peak at 564,000 kyats, showing no significant deviation from normal pricing.

Following the bombing in central Sittwe, the steady departure of residents has left the city highly unstable, with another resident noting that the streets have become deserted and quiet by evening.

Photo: Old file