Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Air
Mongolia, a vast, sparsely populated country with very little infrastructure, relies heavily
on air transport. It has 44 functioning airports, although only 15 of these have paved air-
strips.
Almost all of the destinations are served directly from Ulaanbaatar, so flying from, say,
Dalanzadgad to Bayan-Ölgii is impossible without first returning to UB.
Airlines in Mongolia
AeroMongolia
( in UB 011-330 373;
www.aeromongolia.mn
)
Operates two Fokker air-
craft. Routes change but at last check it flew domestic services to Ölgii, Dalanzadgad,
Mörön, Ulaangom, Gov-Altai and Khovd. It is really stingy on baggage allowance, allowing
only 15kg (including hand luggage); any kilogram over the limit costs around T3000.
Credit card and cash payments are accepted. AeroMongolia also serves Hohhot in China,
and Irkutsk in Russia.
EZ Nis
( in UB 7575 3232;
www.eznisairways.com
) Operates Swedish-built Saab 340B
propeller aeroplanes. Has domestic flights to/from UB and Choibalsan, Mörön, Donoi
(Uliastai), Ulaangom, Tosontsengel, Bayan-Ölgii, Dalanzadgad and Oyu Tolgoi. Sched-
ules change frequently so check the website for the latest information. It's a slick and reli-
able operation, but more expensive than AeroMongolia.
Hunnu Airlines
( in UB 7000 1111;
www.hunnuair.com
)
Operates Fokker 50 and Air-
bus 319 aircraft. Domestic destinations include Donoi (Uliastai), Dalanzadgad, Khovd,
Mörön, Choibalsan, Bayankhongor and Altai. It also flies to Bulgan
sum
in southern
Khovd aimag.
MIAT
( in UB 011-333 999;
www.miat.com
)
The state-owned airline that once flew to
every corner of the country. It no longer operates any domestic routes.
Checking In
Get to the airport at least one hour before your flight. Even if you have a ticket, flight num-
ber and an allocated seat number, don't assume the plane won't be overbooked. Try to
make certain your luggage has gone on the plane. Gas canisters are not allowed on any
flight.
Costs
»
AeroMongolia seems to have the best deals on domestic flights; a one-way fare to
Dalanzadgad costs US$112 while a flight to Bayan-Ölgii goes for about US$185. This is
good value, considering the overland alternative to Ölgii is a 50-hour trip in an overstuffed
van.
