Hanthawaddy International Airport (under construction)

The project was suspended due to the political and economic fallout from the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar. The coup led to widespread instability, international sanctions, and the withdrawal of the international consortium responsible for its development. The consortium, which included Japan's JGC Corporation and Singapore's Changi Airports International (CAI) and Yongnam Holdings, formally pulled out of the project, citing the untenable business environment and inability to secure financing.

The site is an abandoned, large-scale construction project. Extensive land clearing and some initial earthworks were completed over the years, but major construction of terminals, runways, and other infrastructure never fully commenced or was halted at a very early stage. The vast area, located about 80 kilometers northeast of Yangon, remains largely empty and unused. The placeholder ICAO code MM-0001 was likely assigned for planning purposes and does not represent an active airfield.

Hanthawaddy International Airport has no operational history as it never opened. Its significance is rooted in its ambition and its status as a symbol of Myanmar's stalled development. First planned in the early 1990s, the project was repeatedly delayed before being revived during Myanmar's democratic transition period in the 2010s. It was designed to be the country's main international gateway and a major regional hub, intended to replace the aging and capacity-constrained Yangon International Airport (VYYY). The plan called for a modern airport with a capacity of 12 million passengers per year in its first phase, with potential expansion up to 30 million. It represented a cornerstone of the country's strategy to boost tourism, trade, and foreign investment.

Prospects for resuming construction are currently very low to non-existent. The military-led government lacks the massive funding (estimated at over US$1.5 billion) and the technical expertise required for such a project, especially without international partners. The ongoing civil conflict, severe economic crisis, and international isolation make it impossible to attract the necessary foreign investment. Any potential revival of the Hanthawaddy airport project is contingent upon a fundamental and stable resolution to Myanmar's political situation and the re-engagement of the international community.