The activities pertaining to aviation in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) started way back before the end of Second World War. But it was after the Second World War in 1945 that both aircraft activities and the Air Traffic Services began to develop. Yangon International Airport was a biggest and busiest in South East Asia since 1957.

Most of Airlines Transport license holders and Air Traffic Services aviators were product of Myanma Air Force before establishing the Civil Aviation Training Centre, Department of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transport. The Government of Myanmar decided to establish the Civil Aviation Training Centre which provide aviators with an aviation learning experience and excellent pathway to their aviation careers. In 1981, the Government of Myanmar coordinated with UNDP and ICAO’s project BUR/81/004 to establish the Civil Aviation Training Centre initially. Then MYA/86/003 continued the development of Civil Aviation Centre. This Civil Aviation Training Centre will be able to provide license courses of Air line Transport Pilot License and Commercial Pilot License, basic training in the fields of Air Traffic Service, Communication Engineering including navigational aids and Radar data processing, Electro-mechanical Engineering, Crash Fire Rescue, and Aeronautical English since 1989.

This Civil Aviation Training School was located in outskirts of Yangon near Yangon International Airport and only half an hour drive from the heart of Yangon City. Now the Civil Aviation Training School has changed the name itself to Civil Aviation Training Institute - CATI, to meet international standards for strengthening of air transport sub sector, to provide more reliable and safer air transport services within and over Myanma airspace.