National carrier Cambodia Angkor Air announced its new air route, offering direct flights between Phnom Penh and India’s capital New Delhi.
“Experience our new destination. New route to Delhi, India, will commence operation soon,” the Phnom Penh-based airline wrote in a Facebook post last Thursday.
The firm, however, did not give details about the flight schedule.
The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) confirmed that the company has received approval for flight operations from the Cambodian and Indian authorities.
“Cambodia Angkor Air has recently received an air operator certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the Phnom Penh-New Delhi route and the company is currently planning the flight schedule,” SSCA’s under-secretary of state and spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha told Khmer Times.
The company will soon issue a flight schedule to the SSCA for its new service, he said.
While responding to the development, the Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh said on Friday that the long-waited direct flight from Cambodia to India is now becoming a reality.
“This remarkable milestone makes another historic achievement in the strong collaboration between these two incredible nations and also unlocks more opportunities in tourism and business partnerships,” the embassy wrote on its official Facebook page.
The Royal Embassy of Cambodia in India has been working closely with the Indian side to reach a final decision on direct flights between India and Cambodia during April or June, Cambodian Ambassador to India Koy Kuong said last week.
Meanwhile, SSCA has approved India’s Indigo Air for operating flights from New Delhi to Siem Reap, according to the Chansereyvutha.
“We have approved the airport slot to the airline, but we have not received an application for operating air flight from the airline yet,” he said.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism indicates that Cambodia welcomed 68,836 Indian guests last year, a surge of more than 102 percent from 34,016 in the previous year.
Meanwhile, underscoring the growing cooperation, Cambodia and India have formed a technical team to start negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement that would enhance trade, investment, and business cooperation between the two countries.
According to the General Department of Customs and Excise, bilateral trade between the Kingdom and India has seen steady growth reaching nearly $485 million in 2023, marking a 10 percent increase from 2022. khmertimeskh
