Cambodia expects to establish more direct flight routes with China after State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) secretary of state Mao Havannal signed two agreements last week at the 25th Asean Transport Ministers’ meeting.
Other Asean member countries also signed similar agreements with China during the meeting, which was held from November 14-15 in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
The two agreements were on strengthening flight rights under the Asean-China Air Transport Agreement and the protocol implementation of the 11th contract of the Air Transport Service under the Asean framework agreement on services.
These agreements are expected to support trade, tourism and investment between Asean member states and China, said a press release issued by the SSCA.
SSCA spokesman Sin Chan Sereyvutha told The Post on Monday that the two agreements would help to connect air transport and the creation of more direct flights from China to Cambodia.
“The agreements ensure that the aviation market is unified, and flights from China to Asean, including Cambodia, can land at all airports in the Kingdom. Also, Cambodia’s aviation sector would be opened up to foreign investments.”
Ministry of Tourism data up to September showed that Cambodia has 830 international flights and 153 domestic flights a week. There are a total of 49 airlines operating flights to 86 destinations in 12 countries.
Pacific Asia Travel Association chairman Thourn Sinan said the agreements would help promote business and boost Cambodia’s tourism sector.
“Cambodia needs to connect more flights to China and other countries around the world as it provides more options for tourists and business travellers who are visiting our country,” he said.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (Cata) president Chhay Sivlin said the agreements will help boost the growth of tourism in Cambodia.
“The agreement is a message for tourism and aviation sector insiders in Cambodia to be ready to welcome international tourists. It will also actively promote increased services in the aviation sector and attract investments from abroad,” she said.
A Ministry of Tourism report shows that in the first nine months of the year, foreign airborne tourist arrivals to Cambodia totalled 3.39 million, which is an increase of 14.7 per cent year-on-year.
Sihanoukville International Airport recorded the highest increase at 308 per cent, mainly due to the surge in Chinese tourists.
