Traffic trends, new routes and destinations
Airlines see uptick in performance in 2019, Local airlines expand international operations, Chinese airlines see surge in service to Cambodian cities.Airlines see uptick in performance in 2019
It has already proven to be a busy year for a long list of international airlines servicing Cambodia’s airports. Multiple international carriers - including Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, and Qatar Airways - have seen improved performance of their flights to and from Phnom Penh, while Thai AirAsia, Lao Airlines, and Shandong Airlines have seen increased numbers of passengers flying to and from Siem Reap thus far this year.
A handful of carriers have seen a boost in passengers on their flights to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International Airports, including Cathay Dragon, China Southern Airlines, Thai Smile and Vietnam Airlines.
Local airlines expand international operations
Cambodia Airways, Cambodia Angkor Air, JC Airlines and Lanmei Airlines have all recently launched new international flights out of the capital to cities across Asean, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. JC Airlines and Lanmei Airlines have also increased the number of chartered flights they offer between Siem Reap and select Chinese cities.
In addition, Cambodia Airways has begun servicing Sihanouk International Airport and three more local airlines - JC Airlines, Lanmei Airlines and Sky Angkor Airlines - have begun offering several chartered routes to Sihanoukville from various cities in China.
Chinese airlines see surge in service to Cambodian cities
As Chinese tourism in Cambodia continues to skyrocket, the demand has encouraged Chinese airlines to open new routes to the Kingdom. As Sihanoukville has become a major place of Chinese touristic activity, Ruili Airlines recently began flying between the port city and the Chinese hubs of Fuzhou and Shenyang, while Sichuan Airlines has also opened a new flight path to Chongqing.
Multiple Chinese airlines have begun operating new routes to and from the Cambodian capital: Air China entered the market with direct flights to Beijing, China Express Airline entered with direct flights to Zhanjiang, China Eastern Airlines added new routes to Kunming and Nanning, China Southern Airlines added a new route to Shenzhen and Spring Airlines added new routes to both Shantou and Yangzhou.
JC International Airlines launches first route between Sihanoukville and Bangkok
On April 27, locally based carrier JC International Airlines launched a brand new route between Sihanoukville and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport - the first flight to link Cambodia’s port city with the Thai capital’s largest hub. Travelers can now take advantage of the airline’s year-round operation of four weekly flights between the two cities. The route is serviced by an A320 aircraft, which can seat 180 people.
Indonesian airline launching direct flights between Phnom Penh and Jakarta
Citilink airline, established in 2001 as a low-cost brand of Garuda Indonesia, will begin operating year-round direct flights between the Cambodian and Indonesian capital cities on June 21, 2019, according to the airline’s Network Planning Officer.