Emirates Airlines will expand its presence in Cambodia by launching a daily passenger flight between Dubai and Phnom Penh, with a stopover in Yangon, as part of the Dubai-based carrier’s push into the region.
Launching on July 1, the daily flight will connect Dubai to Phnom Penh via a 90-minute stopover in Yangon, using a Boeing 777-300ER with both economy and business-class seating, the company said in a in a press release yesterday.
“The launch of daily services from Dubai to Phnom Penh will coincide with the introduction of a direct, non-stop route between Dubai and Hanoi,” the press release said. “From July 1, Emirates passengers travelling to Hanoi will no longer stop in Yangon before reaching the Vietnamese capital.”
The airline’s connection between Yangon and Phnom Penh will be the only direct flight between the two Asian capitals since Myanmar Airlines International ceased operating flights on the route several years ago.
Emirates explained that its decision to offer passenger service to Cambodia was due to rising tourism figures and the successful expansion of Phnom Penh International Airport last year, as well as the airline’s existing connections between Dubai and European hubs such as Paris, London and Frankfurt.
“Recent growth and infrastructure development has led to Phnom Penh becoming a significant economic and tourism destination,” the company said. “There were more than 4.7 million foreign tourist arrivals to Cambodia in 2015 and this is forecasted to rise to 8 million by 2020.”
This is not the first time for Emirates to serve Phnom Penh. In April 2016, the airline’s freight division, Emirates SkyCargo, launched one-weekly cargo services between Dubai and Phnom Penh using a McDonnell Douglas MD11.
The Boeing 777-300ER it will use on its passenger flights will add to its cargo capacity, allowing it to tap into the growth of Europe-bound shipments.
“In terms of cargo, garments and clothing are expected to be popular exports from Phnom Penh on this route,” the airline said.
