As it completed six months of operations on the resumption of flight services to Phnom Penh from Dubai, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, on Friday expressed optimism about its Cambodia prospects and revealed plans for introducing a world-class retail facility.
At a roundtable with the Cambodian media, Mohammed Al Qassim, Emirates’ Country Manager for Cambodia, said since resuming services to Phnom Penh in May, the airline carried around 19,000 passengers and three million tonnes of cargo until October end.
“Since we resumed our flights, we have noticed that Phnom Penh is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for passengers across our global network and passenger demand for our Singapore-bound leg is also growing steadily,” said Al Qassim.
He said the airline would soon (by 2025) launch a state-of-the-art one-stop-for-all retail office in Phnom Penh matching world-class services. The new facility, along with the UAE visa services it launched last June, would go a long way in enhancing passenger and business amenities.
It may be noted that Emirates resumed a daily service between Phnom Penh and Dubai via Singapore in May this year. The airline’s much-anticipated return was marked by an official welcome ceremony presided over by Mao Havannall, Minister in charge of Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation at Phnom Penh International Airport.
Emirates operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Phnom Penh, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.
During the discussions with the media at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Al Qassim was also positive about the growth of passenger numbers across the airline’s network which spans 148 destinations in 80 countries.
Emirates, according to him, is currently offering competitive pricing on flights to Dubai, Singapore and beyond. “The seamless connection through Singapore means that Cambodian travellers can now cost-effectively take advantage of Emirates’ vast flight network to fly to popular gateways across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Africa,” Al Qassim pointed out.
He also spoke of the UAE-Cambodia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which paves the way for a new era of trade and investment cooperation between Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates. “Emirates is ideally placed to service the needs of those UAE companies doing business in Cambodia,” he noted.
The CEPA, which came into force on January 31, 2024, promotes business between Cambodia and the UAE by substantially eliminating tariffs, reducing non-tariff trade barriers and promoting trade in goods, services and investment. The bilateral deal led to a rise of seven percent in trade between the two countries until October.
“We are also noticing more and more airlines are adding Cambodia to their flight networks, which will ultimately support the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism’s vision to propel tourism development in the country, in line with their BUILD Plus 3Ds strategy,” Al Qassim noted.
Emirates recently won ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the prestigious ULTRAs 2024 Awards. The airline was recognised by thousands of global travellers for its exceptional products, innovative services, and superb value-for-money experiences on offer.
Emirates was also recognised in more than 20 other awards this year, including ‘World Best Airline’ by Telegraph Travel, ranking the airline first amongst 90 global carriers; and ‘Best Airline’ by The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards.
Closer to home, Emirates is using its channels to promote Cambodia as a travel destination. The airline’s international website www.emirates.com is encouraging international travellers to explore Cambodia’s many attractions including Khmer history, art and culture in the capital city, Phnom Penh, as well as the country’s stunning landscapes and beaches.
