Silk Air smoothly running 20 years on

[PHNOM PENH POST]

Silk Air Cambodia Manager Tan Han Soon

This month Singapore-based regional carrier Silk Air is offering discounts on trips booked before the end of this month for travel until March 31 next year.

From Phnom Penh, fares include US$768 for a return trip to Darwin, Australia, not including taxes and surcharges, and $1,218 to and from Frankfurt, London or Paris, or service to Houston, Los Angeles or New York for $1,358, as well as deals to India and elsewhere in Australia.  The fares are available through the website at silkair.com or over the counter at Silk Air’s office in the Hotel Intercontinental complex.

Cambodia to fill gap in aviation training

[PHNOM PENH POST]

An aviation training centre was being planned that would allow the Kingdom to meet the demands of its surging tourism market, a State Secretariat of Civil Aviation official said yesterday.

About 1.5 million visitors arrived in Cambodia by air in 2011, a 16 per cent jump over the year before, according to Ministry of Tourism figures.

As a result, the SSCA aims to launch a US$5 million facility in Phnom Penh that would help to staff the still-developing industry.

“Our air transportation has been increasing remarkably fast. So we hope that when we have the centre, our aviation industry will have enough qualified human resources,” Soy Sokhan, under-secretary of state at the SSCA and the project’s director, said.

The SSCA proposed the idea, via Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Council for the Development of Cambodia, to the Korea International Co-operation Agency last November, seeking financial and technical assistance.

Siem Riep proposed airport said to be on track

[PHNOM PENH POST]

A senior government official has said construction on the US$1 billion airport project in Siem Reap was still on track despite the recent arrest of a key person in charge of the project.

Plans and designs for the New Siem Reap International Airport had been submitted to the government and construction was scheduled to begin as early as next month, Council of Ministers secretary of state and NSRIA Steering Committee chairman Tek Reth Samrach claimed.

NSRIA CEO Lee Tae-hwan was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for involvement with fraudulent loans at the Busan Savings Bank, local media reported.

The NSRIA project was a joint venture between two South Korean companies, Camco Airport Co Ltd and Lees A&A Co Ltd.

The assets of Busan Savings Bank, which backed the airport and the real estate mega-project Camko City, were forwarded to the government-owned Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation last year, according to Ernst Lee, at Korea’s Financial Services Commission.

Airline ups stake in fuel fight

[PHNOM PENH POST]

The dispute that grounded a Tonlesap Airlines plane on Tuesday and stranded more than 200 passengers in Siem Reap and Taipei, Taiwain, continued yesterday, as plane owner Far Eastern Transport upped the sum it claimed Tonlesap owed for fuel.

Far Eastern grounded a plane it had leased to Cambodian-owned Tonlesap at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport, saying the company owed as much as US$105,000 in fuel fees.

The cancellation left 139 passengers at Taoyuan without a flight to Siem Reap, and more than 100 at the airport in Siem Reap waiting for a return trip to Taiwan.

Far Eastern manager Yang Tianyou said yesterday that his company was forced to pay a fee to both airports for the cancellation, and Far Eastern was now adding that sum to the amount owed by Tonlesap, for a total of $169,200.

Far Eastern had rented one plane to Tonlesap, which also has Taiwanese, British and Singaporean investors, since the company launched in 2011.

Siem Reap flight grounded over fuel payment dispute

[PHNOM PENH POST]

A Siem Reap-bound plane was grounded yesterday in Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport after a US$100,000 fuel dispute between two Taiwanese airlines.

Without warning, Far Eastern Air Transport grounded the passenger plane it leased to Tonlesap at 10:25 am, according to a statement posted on Far Eastern’s website.

Far Eastern claimed Tonlesap owed it $101,500 in fuel.

The plane was scheduled to carry 138 passengers to Siem Reap and return to Taiwan with 109 passengers yesterday afternoon, according to Focus Taiwan, a Taiwanese news service.

Tonlesap Airlines issued a separate statement claiming it owed  $33,800, far less than a deposit it had paid to Far Eastern, according to Focus Taiwan.

Neither company could be reached yesterday for comment.

Cebu Air Inc : CEB launches direct flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia

[4-traders.com]

Only airline to operate flights between the Philippines and Cambodia

The Philippines' largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) will become the only airline flying direct from Manila to Siem Reap in Cambodia when it launches its flights on April 19, 2012. It will be a thrice weekly service, utilizing one of Asia's youngest aircraft fleets.

"Adventurous backpackers usually travel by land from Ho Chi Minh or Bangkok to Siem Reap, just so they can visit Angkor Wat, part of the Angkor World Heritage site. Now, Cebu Pacific can fly them to Siem Reap on its trademark lowest fares," said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

CEB will also be the only airline operating flights between the Philippines and Cambodia. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Center, Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The Angkor Archaeological Park contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century, including the famous Temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon.

To launch its newest international route, CEB offers P888 seats between Manila and Siem Reap from January 27 to 29, 2012 or until seats last. These are for travel from April 19 to May 31, 2012.

Cambodia Angkor Air plans flights to Seoul

[PHNOM PENH POST]

National carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA) will introduce direct flights to South Korea sometime in the first quarter, a civil aviation official has claimed.

“We began planning our flights between Siem Reap and Incheon International Airport [near Seoul] in the first quarter after we conducted market surveys showing that Korean tourists had high potential compared to others,” said Soy Sokhan, the undersecretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.

He said CAA will operate regular direct flights on its Airbus 321, which can accommodate about 186 passengers. 

The airline plans to expand its direct-flight options to include some major cities in China this year as well, he said.

CAA recently began flying direct between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville three times a week.

Officials at CAA could not be reached for comment.

Philippines to establish direct air link with Cambodia

[INQUIRER BUSINESS]

The country’s airlines will soon fly straight to destinations in Cambodia, one of the few members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that do not have direct air links with the Philippines.

During a board meeting held earlier this month, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) gave four airlines the signal to mount a total of 21 weekly flights between various points in Cambodia and the Philippines.

The air link is expected to boost trade and travel between the two countries, which are starting to rely more on their respective tourism sectors to create more jobs and boost growth.

The entitlements are a result of a 2009 air deal between Manila and Phnom Penh, paving the way for the establishment of direct air links between the two countries.

This is in line with the liberalization of Cambodia’s air rights regime, which has contributed significantly to the rapid growth of its tourism sector. From just 700,000 in 2003, the number of tourists going to Cambodia has grown to over 2.5 million at the end of 2010, government data showed.

Air Asia expands services, flights

[PHNOM PENH POST]

Malaysia-based Air Asia will begin offering travel services in Cambodia, and may expand its flights to neighbouring countries, company officials said.

The airline launched its first Air Asia Travel and Service Center in Phnom Penh yesterday. Air Asia will partner with tour operator Mekong Discovery.

So Mara, a Secretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, said at the opening ceremony that the centre – which will book package holidays – would increase tourism between Cambodia and Malaysia.

Ang Kim Eang, President of the Cambodia Associations of Travel Agents, which represents about 200 of Cambodia’s 400 tour operators, welcomed the competition.

CAMBODIAN RIVERIA Sihanoukville Flights

[Thephuketinsider.com]

The gateway to Cambodia's fledgling real estate Riviera - Sihanoukville is getting a boost with regular direct flights starting December 14th .

Cambodia Angkor Air will fly between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville three times a week.

The airline is owned 51% by the Cambodia government and 49% Vietnam Airlines.

Property developers have been keen to speculate on the large availability of oceanfront land on white sand beaches in the area, but airlift has been a major obstacle to widespread development.

Airport expansion key to Kingdom tourism

[PHNOM PENH POST]

The Kingdom needs US$270 million to expand its three airports if the country is to meet its growing demand as a tourist destination, Cambodia Airport CEO Emmanuel Menanteau said yesterday.

The total number of visitors passing through the Kingdom’s airports will approximately double every 10 years, reaching eight million in 2020 from about four million today, then jumping to 16 million by 2030, he said.

The money would be used to boost the overall capacity of Cambodia’s airports – in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – by the end of this decade in order to better serve a still-burgeoning tourism industry, according to Menanteau.

“We see the next 10 years as being very important for the development of these airports,” he said during a tourism conference held in Phnom Penh yesterday.

Australian airline will launch direct flights to Kingdom

[PHNOM PENH POST]

An Australian national airline would launch daily direct flights between Cambodia and Australia early next year, the Secretariat of State of Civil Aviation said yesterday.

The airline had conducted a feasibility study and a market survey in co-operation with a Cambodian technical team, Long Chheng, deputy cabinet chief of the SSCA, said, although he declined to name the company concerned.

The airline recently submitted a licence application after determining that the venture would be profitable, Long Chheng said.

“They see the market demand between the two countries. That’s why they made decision to start direct flights on daily basis,” he said.

Cambodian Airports Receive More Than 2 Million Passengers

[AKP]

November 2, 2011 – Cambodian airports have attracted more than 2 million passengers in the first ten months of this year, according to the figures released recently by the Société Concessionnaire des Aéroports (SCA).

From January to late October 2011, Phnom Penh International Airport has received some 1.47 million passengers, an increase by 11 percent, while Siem Reap International Airport has got 1.39 million travelers, up 14 percent if compared to the same period last year, the figures show.

Mr. Emmanuel Menanteau, SCA Chief Executive, said the number of arrivals by air will see further increase in the coming years, especially when Preah Sihanouk International Airport in Preah Sihanouk coastal province receives regular direct flights.

Up to now, there are 23 airlines operating regular direct flights from South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, France, etc. to Cambodia.

Yangon bound: New flights to Myanmar after delay

[PHNOM PENH POST]

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) is slated for a November 2 launch of bi-weekly flights between Phnom Penh and Myanmar’s economic hub and former capital, Yangon, Cambodian Aviation officials said yesterday.

The flights – on 162-seat A320 jets – will transfer in Siem Reap before continuing on to Phnom Penh, Tep Sun Tary, director of air transport for the State Secretariat for Civil Aviation, said.

The agreement for the flights was signed between the two countries’ tourism ministers earlier this year. The Post reported in September that Phnom Penh-Yangon flights would begin October 29.
Inadequate preparation accounted for the delay, Tep Sun Tary said. MAI launched direct flights between Yangon and Siem Reap in February. Visitors from Myanmar increased more than 72 per cent, with 2,808 tourists in the first eight months of 2011, according to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism.

Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said yesterday that the airlines’ extension to Phnom Penh would help attract more tourists to the three destinations.

“We hope that the triangular flight will to boost the tourism industry in the two countries or in other ASEAN countries,” he said.

Singapore, S.Korea airlines to launch flights to Cambodia in winter season

[XINHUA]

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 28 -- Two new foreign airlines, Tiger Airways Singapore and South Korea's Eastar Jet, will launch their regular flights to Cambodia in this winter season, from November to March, a senior official at Socit Concessionaire d'A roport (SCA), the operator of Cambodia's airports, said on Friday.

The Tiger Airways will start its daily flights between Singapore and Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, by A320 (180 seats) and one flight a week from Singapore to Siem Reap, Cambodia's largest cultural tourism destination, Emmanuel Menanteau, Chief Executive of SCA, said during a press briefing on the promotion of the winter season flights schedule.

He said the Eastar Jet is due to operate four weekly flights for the winter season between Seoul and Siem Reap with a B-737 ( 149 seats).

Myanmar Airways International to fly to Phnom Penh from October

[MYANMAR TIMES]

[Myanmar's] National carrier Myanmar Airways International [MAI] plans to launch flights to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh by October, an airline spokesperson said.

Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, via Siem Reap, using a new Airbus A-321 that can accommodate 220 passengers.

“We will add one Airbus A-321 aircraft and will start to fly Phnom Penh via Siem Reap by early October. It will be two flights a week, the same as our Siem Reap service. Details of the schedule and price will be announced later this month,” the spokesperson said.

“Siem Reap is a tourist destination while Phnom Penh is the business city of Cambodia so we expect to attract more passengers on this route compared to Siem Reap,” she said.

The spokesperson said the airline planned to acquire more aircraft, which would allow it to add more routes and also increase the number of flights to existing destinations.

Myanmar Airways International will first launch flights to Jakarta and New Delhi and also has plans to fly to Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, Doha and Bali late on, she said.

Cambodia to launch first flight to coastal tourism hub

[XINHUA]

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia has planned to launch the first flight between the cultural province Siem Reap and the coastal province Preah Sihanouk from November 15, 2011, Ou Serei Sopheap, the general manager of TonleSap Airlines, said on Tuesday.

She said the company would operate two regular flights a week between Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk.

"The flight route between the two destinations has been fully supported by the government," she said. "Through the upcoming scheduled flights, it will help develop Cambodia's tourism industry."

Siem Reap houses the World Heritage site, Angkor Wat temples, located some 314 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, while Preah Sihanouk is situated about 230 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh.

TonleSap Airlines took to the sky in January 2011. It is currently providing regular flights to Nanning, Shenzhen, Huzhou in China, Utaphao in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam and Luang Prabang in Laos.

Preah Sihanouk is the country's largest seaside province, and it also houses the country's main port.

Myanmar airline to stretch wing to Cambodia

[XINHUA]

YANGON, Sept. 7 -- The Myanmar Airways International ( MAI) will extend its flight services to Cambodia next month as part of its plan to stretch wing to more international destinations, a local report said Wednesday without specifying the date.

A newly-bought A-321 aircraft of MAI, expected to arrive in October this year, will be used to fly the routes of Yangon-Siem Reap-Phnom Penh, the Weekly Eleven said, adding that MAI has also planned to expand its other flight services.

The direct air link between Myanmar and Cambodia is prompted by the 4th Ayeyawady Chaophraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) summit and 5th CLMV Summit in November last year which was aimed at developing tourism industry in the subregion.

Since 2007, Cambodia and Myanmar have been working in collaboration for realization of direct air link and visa exemption, aiming to promote tourism industry between the two countries.

At present, MAI operates international flights with four Airbus A-320 between Yangon and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Guangzhou, Gaya, Siem Reap and Yangon-Bangkok-Singapore.

Struggling Sihanoukville

[PHNOM PENH POST]

News this week that two domestic airlines plan to offer flights between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville town was positive for the Kingdom’s tourism industry, though Cambodia’s coast is still far from being a top destination.

Cambodia Angkor Air and Tonle Sap Airlines have said they will begin trafficking passengers between the two destinations by the end of the year, with the former saying delays into 2012 are possible.
Regardless, the launch of these new routes begged a question.

As tourists to Siem Reap most often enter Cambodia from Thailand, why would these visitors choose Sihanoukville over any of that country’s world-class beaches and resorts?

Sure, the coasts of Sihanoukville this year were accepted into the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World.

The view is far less flattering, however, when one considers what lies onshore.

Sihanoukville flight claims

[PHNOM PENH POST]

Two airlines plan to begin regular flights between the tourist towns of Siem Reap and Sihanoukville this year, officials said yesterday.

Cambodia Angkor Air aims to begin its regular flights by December, though may delay into 2012 if necessary, said Office of the Council of Ministers Secretary of State Tek Rethsamrach yesterday.

“We want to make sure that if we begin flights, they will continue forever. We don’t want flights to last two or three weeks and then stop – that’s very bad,” he said.

Although tourism insiders had made a push for regularly scheduled flights to Sihanoukville, the plans of CAA, the national carrier, to fly to the beach resort had been delayed since its launch in 2009.

“You know why we delayed flights to Sihanoukville, it’s because the market was not yet confident enough after the global financial crisis,” said Tek Rethsamrach.