Original report from Phnom Penh
29 July 2009
Cambodia Angkor Air, a joint venture between Vietnam’s state-owned airline and Cambodia, made its first commercial flight Monday, in what government officials hope will be a boost to tourism and the economy.
The new carrier fills an eight-year absence, following the bankruptcy of Royal Air Cambodge, which folded in October 2001 owing more than $33 million to creditors.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said at a ceremony Sunday that Angkor Air was part of Cambodia’s open-sky strategy, providing air transport for Cambodians and a boon to tourism.
“The success of a Cambodian national airline will bring national pride and help develop the tourism sector, which is a force of economic growth,” said Hun Sen, who was accompanied by Vietnamese Deputy Prime minister Truong Vinh Trong.
Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said the new airline would increase the number of visitors to the famed temples of Angkor Wat, which have seen a decline in numbers in the wake of the global economic crisis.
With an investment of $100 million, Angkor Air has a pair of ATR 72-500 aircraft that will fly three routes, linking Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City.
Mao Havannal, secretary of state for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the airline will start with 32 flights per week between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and 14 flights per week between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City.
Phan Ngoc Minh, an executive for Vietnam Airlines, said another Airbus will be transferred to Cambodia in early September 2009. Within a year, the airline will have eight planes, he said.
Angkor Air is entering a market that has seen a number of failures in the past 15 years, with bankruptcy hitting Royal Phnom Penh Airways, Kampuchea Airlines, Angkor Airways and Royal Air Cambodge.
There are currently 10 different airlines linking Cambodia to international destinations.
Phan said the new national carrier will become a strong competitor.
“I do believe Cambodia Angkor Air will soon become strong and solid enough to support Cambodia’s aviation industry, to support development and benefit for the Royal Government of Cambodia,” he said.
The new airline will also have to contend with an industry that has been marred by safety concerns, following several crashes that have killed a total of 80 people in recent years.
Mao Havannal said Angkor Air was indeed safe.
The new carrier fills an eight-year absence, following the bankruptcy of Royal Air Cambodge, which folded in October 2001 owing more than $33 million to creditors.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said at a ceremony Sunday that Angkor Air was part of Cambodia’s open-sky strategy, providing air transport for Cambodians and a boon to tourism.
“The success of a Cambodian national airline will bring national pride and help develop the tourism sector, which is a force of economic growth,” said Hun Sen, who was accompanied by Vietnamese Deputy Prime minister Truong Vinh Trong.
Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said the new airline would increase the number of visitors to the famed temples of Angkor Wat, which have seen a decline in numbers in the wake of the global economic crisis.
With an investment of $100 million, Angkor Air has a pair of ATR 72-500 aircraft that will fly three routes, linking Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City.
Mao Havannal, secretary of state for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the airline will start with 32 flights per week between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and 14 flights per week between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City.
Phan Ngoc Minh, an executive for Vietnam Airlines, said another Airbus will be transferred to Cambodia in early September 2009. Within a year, the airline will have eight planes, he said.
Angkor Air is entering a market that has seen a number of failures in the past 15 years, with bankruptcy hitting Royal Phnom Penh Airways, Kampuchea Airlines, Angkor Airways and Royal Air Cambodge.
There are currently 10 different airlines linking Cambodia to international destinations.
Phan said the new national carrier will become a strong competitor.
“I do believe Cambodia Angkor Air will soon become strong and solid enough to support Cambodia’s aviation industry, to support development and benefit for the Royal Government of Cambodia,” he said.
The new airline will also have to contend with an industry that has been marred by safety concerns, following several crashes that have killed a total of 80 people in recent years.
Mao Havannal said Angkor Air was indeed safe.
12 comments:
the airplane logo looks so unattractive. i think they should change it to fit khmer identity more like adopting the naga symbol , apsara symbol or angkor wat symbol, etc... other than that, i think it is good that they finally have a national carrier, well at least, it's a start. still, i think the cambodian airports needs to be expanded to need international standard. looke to japan or america for technical assistance in airport infrastructure. they are consider the best in the developing world, really. god bless cambodia.
All belong to Khmer now Youn already take over, how Khmer Leader know how to take care our country.
Do the future Cambodia country belong to Youn too?.
Kaun Khmer in Blood
បើតាមខ្ញុំគិតអ្នកឯងគឺជាអ្នកញុះញង់ឲ្យខ្មែរបែកគ្នា
បើអ្នកឯងជាអ្នកខ្លាំខាងប្រឆាំងម្តេចមិនទៅសុំជុំនួយពីបស្ចឹមប្រទេសមកជួយខ្មែរទៅ?ពួកអ្នកឯងមួយ
មាត់ណាក៏យួនដែរប៉ុន្តែអ្នកយកតែប្រពន្ធយួនហើយស៉ុគុយទាវយួនរាល់តែព្រឹក។ហើយមកបង្អាប់តែ
ខ្មែរខ្លួនឯងបើតាមខ្ញុំគិតពួកអ្នកឯងនេះមិនមែនជា
ពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជាទេគឺខ្មាំងរបស់កម្ពុជាសុទ្ធសាត។ពួក
អ្នកឯងកុំព្រួយវាជិតរលាយខ្លួនឯងហើយ។ខ្ញុំនឹង
បន់ស្រន់ឲ្យបុព្ពបុរស់ខ្មែរនឹងដាក់ទំនាយឲ្យអ្នក
ឯងរលាយសូន្រក្នុងពេលឆាប់ៗខាងមុខនេះ។
in the future CAMBODIA will be look justlike in singapor ,all major city population will be chinese and vietnames and all the real KHMER peoples will be disapeared one by one into the deep jungle just like AMERICAN INDIAN ,WELCOME TO FUNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA..........
What is NOT owned by vietnam in cambodia?
I wonder if this damn airplane are safe to ride one! because of the propeller...?
11.02 a.m.
Statistically, air travel is far safer than driving. In fact, it's much safer in the air than in driving a car down.
PPU
Stop your bad mouth and look at the facts: the cambodian airports meet already international standards otherwise, thai airways, dragon air, korean airlines would not certainly land there. Second, the ATR 72 are reliable aircrafts with least accident records. Even if it is vietnamese investments, managements, pilots crews and stewardesses, it has the merit to exist. Vietnamese, and Vietnam airlines can manage better than the monkeys who used to manage Royal Air Cambodge. Better to have competent foreigners making business to enhance cambodian economy than local monkeys doing rubbishes... khmers are very good to shout and complaints but not to act...
well, yes, it's sound so ironic given vietnam is not even a superpower nor it is a affluent country. vietnam can't barely contain itself with its own national problem and they seem to put more afford into assisting cambodia. go figure! they really work hard to try to court cambodia, of course, cambodia is an expensive country to foster friendship. i'm surprise that a third world country like vietnam is able to afford cambodia like this. how long is it going to last? anyway, it's just a business deal. i wonder what happen to the affluent nations out there? why don't they come to the rescue of cambodia like investing and giving technical assistance to cambodia, instead of only criticizing and running their foul mouths! go figure! something is not right, here!
i praise cambodia and khmer people will overcome all obstacle as god are protecting us and looking out for us. god bless cambodia.
maybe the blind is leading the blind is right after all!
Ah Kwen! & Ah Kwak! leading each other?
9:43 AM
Airline operations (101): you need intelligent people to get these birds flying effiently and safely.
Based on your unwholesome comment (above), you have a proclivity of exaggerating things. Let's proportionately keep things in perspective here, folks, if you don't mind.
PPU
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