C AMBODIA International Airlines (CIA) has moved back the date of their flirst flight to Kuala Lumpur to Sept 6 from Aug 17 after delays in obtaining government approval.

But CIA's assistant managing director is confident the new date will see the new service taking off.

"Now we have got everything settled," said Mr Gao on Aug 19.

The airline will be flying to the Malaysian capital on Tuesdays and Sundays as a stop-off on the way to Singapore. Flights to Singapore are also increasing in frequency, with a direct service on Wednesdays and Fridays.

The airline is now looking to open a KL office to join its overseas outlets in Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

To promote inbound tourism fromMalaysia into Cambodia, CIA is in the process of putting together five-day packages which will include a discount air ticket, hotel accommodation, meals and one full day or two half day city tours of Phnom Penh. Gao said he expects this to work out near the cost of the full fare of $400.

CIA has already been attracting 100-200 tourists from each of Hong Kong and Singapore every month with similar packages, which use the 40-room Mayfair Hotel and Orient Express Tours, which are owned by the airline.

The four-day Hong Kong packages cost $380 and the three-day Singapore packages $280.

Gao said passenger numbers have remained steady at around 6-8,000 per month on CIA's single Boeing 737 despite recent bad publicity over hostages takings.

Meanwhile SK Air/Kam-puchea Airlines took a British Aerospace 146 on loan from the Bhutan national carrier while the Boeing 737, used on the Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City routes, underwent an overhaul.