Cambodia

Cambodia’s Deputy PM is set to meet Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on 27-28 Mar to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in various areas, including tourism, as well as sign several cooperation agreements, including the Agreement on Air Services

AirAsia Indonesia is reportedly planning to launch Jakarta-Phnom Penh flights on 22 Apr. A spokesperson of the carrier noted that plans are currently being finalised and that they “are not able to share anything yet for now”

Air Macau is giving out one-for-one tickets to all travellers from Singapore to Macau, to celebrate the opening of its Singapore-Macau route. Air Macau boarding pass holders will also be able to enjoy benefits at many major attractions and shopping malls, including Macau Grand Prix Museum, Skypark Macau Tower by AJ Hackett, and Macau Science Centre. Business class passengers travelling before 30 Apr will also have the opportunity to win a $2,272 SGD-worth hotel accommodation package at The Londoner Macau

Lanmei University of Cambodia has officially opened its Airbus A320 full flight simulator centre

ForwardKeys reported that flight booked to Cambodia for Mar-Aug made by Chinese travellers is 77% lower vs 2019

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) spokesperson stated that SSCA always “welcome companies that want to add flights to destinations in China, since the government has set a goal of attracting more Chinese tourists”. At least 13 airlines currently operate flights between Cambodia and China, comprising five local airlines: Cambodia Airways, JC Airlines, Lanmei Airlines, Sky Angkor Airlines, and national flag carrier Cambodia Angkor Air, and eight Chinese carriers: Air China, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Spring Airlines, XiamenAir, China Eastern Airlines, and Ruili Airlines

Cambodia Airways to launch direct Phnom Penh-Beijing route from 27 Mar amid rising demand between the two destinations, operating 3X weekly flights. The frequency is set to be increased to 5X weekly from 17 Apr

Communication & PR Director of Cambodia Airports reported that “a majority” of airlines that operated flights to Cambodia have resumed their operations, except for those flying to/from Japan and the Gulf region, although Qatar Airways has already announced their plan to resume Doha-Phnom Penh flights. Cambodia’s three airports welcomed 823,000 passengers in Jan-Feb, up over 7.5X YoY. Phnom Penh airport showed “strong” growth, whilst Siem Reap’s growth is “gradual”. Sihanoukville airport is said to “benefit from the reopening of the Chinese market in particular”

Qatar Airways to resume its Doha-Phnom Penh route from 29 Oct

Chinese firm Yunnan Investment Holding Group Co Ltd. to promote the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport project through various marketing strategies, to raise awareness among tourists and investors in Cambodia and globally. The airport has been 86% completed and is planned to be launched for aeroplane operations on pilot basis in Jun, and official operations in Oct. Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd.’s affiliate, AIAI, licensed and financed the project, with a registered capital investment of $800 million USD

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) spokesperson announced that the existing Siem Reap Airport complex will be “completely closed” once the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) begins operations in Oct. He added that the future of the old airport, its facilities and site “will be the decision of the Royal Government”

China Eastern Airlines has resumed the Shanghai-Siem Reap route from 3 Mar, with its inaugural flight carrying around 132 Chinese tourists. The route will run 3X weekly. President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents said that the return of Chinese tourists gave “high hopes” for the tourism industry, and believes that the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville’s coastal areas will “remain the most attractive destinations for Chinese tourists”

Cambodian State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) and Lao Department of Civil Aviation have signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in civil aviation, including launching additional commercial flights between the two countries. Vietnam Airlines currently operates daily Phnom Penh-Vientiane flights, whilst Lao Airlines flies from Siem Reap to Pakse and Luang Prabang 3X weekly. Angkor Tourist Guide Association President noted that Lao tourists at Siem Reap’s temple sites are much lower than Thai and Vietnamese, despite Laos also sharing a border with Cambodia. Laos was the fifth largest source market to Cambodia in 2022 with 92,609 arrivals

Lanmei Training Centre (LTC), the training provider for parent company Lanmei Aviation Group, to launch its Airbus A320 full flight simulator (FFS) in Mar, the first ever in Cambodia. It aims to become a key training provider in ASEAN, but will initially start with training its current batch of students enrolled in its multi-crew pilot license (MPL) and aircraft maintenance programmes, as well as catering to the needs of domestic operators. It aims to expand to the regional market, including Laos, Myanmar, and China. Its medium-term goal is to acquire a second simulator. Total cost of the FFS remains undisclosed but the agreement between the producer, Canada’s CAE group, and LTC materialised with financing help from ABA Bank, a subsidiary of the National Bank of Canada. Canada’s export credit agency, Export Development Canada (EDC), serves as a guarantor