Regional flights to Cambodia will rise next year with the news that Philippines Airlines is eyeing flights to the Kingdom and Singapore’s SilkAir announced it would increase the frequency of flights to Siem Reap.

The regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, announced on Tuesday an increase in the frequency of flights to Siem Reap from nine to 10 times a week from March 31 to October 26 next year.

According to Virak Prak, head of northern Cambodia for SilkAir, the increased flights to Siem Reap is driven by strong passenger demand.

“We regularly review demand for travel throughout our network and remain flexible in adjusting capacity, growing it in markets which continue to perform well and reducing it where demand is not as strong,” he said. “In the case of Siem Reap, we have seen strong demand, thus the decision to increase flight frequency.”

Last week Philippine GMA News reported the Civil Aeronautics Board as saying that Philippine Airlines is eyeing flights to Cambodia starting from next year.

Manila and Phnom Penh signed a Confidential Memorandum of Understanding in September 2009. GMA News reported Philippine Airlines wants a confirmation of its designation as the Philippine carrier and reallocation of entitlements to Cambodia.

In April this year the Philippine’s Cebu Pacific Air launched direct flights from Manila to Siem Reap. According to Ho Vandy, co-chair of the tourism private sector working group, the number of Philippine tourists increased over 50 per cent after those flights launched.

Chhay Sivlin, the vice president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said there is increasing demand among tourists from the Philippines. “Most of them they visit Vietnam and continue to Cambodia by land or direct flight to Siem Reap,” she said.

Some 26 airlines are offering flights to Cambodia and there are about 60 flights a day to the country, Ho Vandy said.

Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism show the number of foreign tourist arrivals increased by 23 per cent in the third quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, the Post reported last month.