After being attacked by drones, flights at the Tada-U International Airport in Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar, have been temporarily suspended. Myanmar Airways International (MAI) announced on its official social media on the night of September 10 that all international flights to and from Mandalay have been temporarily grounded, with some domestic flights being diverted to nearby airports for operations.
According to Reuters, an official from MAI’s Bangkok office confirmed on September 11 that flights scheduled to fly to Mandalay on that day and the 12th have been canceled due to the airport closure. Reports from Agence France-Presse quoting security sources indicated that the airport will be closed on September 11 and 12, with operations expected to resume on the 13th, but actual arrangements are subject to announcements by the airlines.
Myanmar’s official media outlet, the Global New Light of Myanmar, cited authorities stating that the anti-government militia group known as the “People’s Defence Force” used six first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones to launch attacks on the airport but were intercepted by security forces. State-owned broadcasting organizations in Myanmar reported that the attack briefly affected some domestic flights, thankfully causing no casualties among individuals and no damage to aircraft or airport runways.
According to local media reports, the resistance forces allegedly targeted military aircraft within the airport; however, it has not been independently confirmed whether any military planes were hit or damaged.