The Dawei Airport upgrade project began implementation in November, and upon completion, it has the potential to significantly facilitate takeoff and landing for military aircraft.

The work commenced after military leader Min Aung Hlaing mentioned the need to upgrade the Dawei Airport during his trip to Dawei on September 18.

There is a plan to draft and implement a Master Plan to elevate the airport from a domestic level to an international standard. Initial work is currently underway to expand the width of the runway sides by 25 feet.

“The airport expansion has begun. We are also seeing jet fuel being transported at night by trucks from the Kyeik Sar Pyin port [in Dawei City],” said a Dawei resident.

According to experts, the current Dawei Airport can only accommodate two small passenger planes of the ATR 72 type, making it difficult for military aircraft to operate. However, after the expansion, it will be much easier for military aircraft to land and take off.

The military currently relies solely on Myeik airport for its air operations. Myeik is over 200 miles away, meaning strike aircraft must currently depart from a distant location.

Observers suggest that military aircraft flying out of the upgraded Dawei Airport would be able to reach the four closest townships in the Dawei area and carry out bombing runs within a short period of mere minutes.

“The Dawei Airport situation is worrying. The four closest townships in Dawei District will be directly affected. If a plane takes off, it will reach all four townships within minutes, making pre-emptive avoidance very difficult,” said a young local revolutionary from the Dawei region.

The upgraded Dawei Airport will include the construction of a plane maintenance hangar and an Air Cargo terminal building for air freight transport. Over four hundred acres of land have been designated for the expansion and construction of these infrastructures.