An unusual and ambitious ‘airline,’ Air Hanuman, is about to take off in Siem Reap to provide thrice-weekly flights from Siem Reap airport to Pattaya.

Flights to Pattaya are slated to commence on Wednesday, October 10, departing Siem Reap at 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a return flight to Siem Reap at 4pm on the same days.

For the Pattaya leg, the flights will land at U-Taphao International Airport, a joint civil-military public airport about a 45 minute drive from Pattaya.

Air Hanuman will operate three aircrafts of type B737-300 with 144 seats and B737-500 with 187 seats, and Tonle Sap Airlines will operate the Air Hanuman flights as charter flights.

Air Hanuman’s website says, “Air Hanuman was established with the dream of making flying from Siem Reap to Pattaya possible for everyone. Together with our associate companies, LP Tours Pattaya, Garuda Travel Services, Long Pao Group and Corporate Marketing Intl., Evans Marketing, Skal International Cambodia, Air Hanuman is set to take low-cost flying to an all new high with our belief, ‘affordable Direct flights to/ from Siem Reap & Pattaya’.”

Of the associated companies listed above, Air Hanuman will operate Garuda Travel Services in Siem Reap and LP Tours in Pattaya.

Corporate Marketing International and Evans Marketing belong to Charles Evans, who is also president of Skål International Cambodia, a global organisation of tourism leaders “promoting global tourism and friendship.”

The principals of the company are Chris Ho, chief executive, and Michael Foidl, director of sales.

In an online statement, Charles Evans said his agency Corporate Marketing was engaged under contract by Chris Ho. Evans added, “Personally, I am a business partner and the Air Hanuman director of publications (In Flight Magazine) and merchandising.”

Director of sales Michel Foidl told Insider that the company sees “big potential” in bringing the tourist hotspots of Siem Reap and Pattaya together.

He described the main target groups as “expats who live in Siem Reap or in Pattaya, young people who want to travel like backpackers but have a higher budget, and families who want to see the temples of Angkor and visit the beaches of Pattaya before they return home.”

Air Hanuman’s promotional campaign promises return flights “from US$99.”