New airline to launch in Cambodia
Having gone so long without a national carrier, Cambodia will soon have two, when Cambodia Airlines commences operations in the third quarter of this year.
The new airline is jointly owned by Cambodian conglomerate the Royal Group and Philippine brewery San Miguel, which last year invested in Philippine Airlines. Initially it will operate domestic services connecting Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the beach resort of Sihanoukville. But Royal Group chief financial officer, Mark Hanna, told local media that Cambodian Airlines is also planning to spread its wings further afield.
“We are looking at Southeast Asia and China, and will be flying to the major regional hubs,” Hanna was quoted saying by the Phnom Penh Post. “Long-haul flights will start next year,” he added, without revealing any specific routes.
Cambodia Airlines will provide the only direct competition for Cambodia Angkor Air – the Vietnam Airlines-backed national carrier that launched in 2009. Prior to that, Cambodia had gone eight years without a national carrier since the demise of Royal Air Cambodge in 2001.