Friday, September 25, 2009

Bye, bye Bangkok Airways ... Hello Vietnam Airlines (Oops! Cambodia Angkor Air)

Bangkok Airways to lose Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route

Fri, 25 Sep 2009
By Michelle Chen
DPA


Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government said it would not renew the contract allowing Thai carrier Bangkok Airways to operate the domestic Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route when the deal expires next month, local media reported Friday. Officials said the decision would boost passenger numbers for Cambodia's new operator, Cambodia Angkor Air, a joint venture between the Cambodian government and state-owned Vietnam Airlines. It started operations in July.

Mao Havannal, the head of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that the decision had been taken to give the new airline a boost.

"Now that we have our own domestic airline, Bangkok Airways will not be allowed to continue their flights when the agreement finishes on October 25," he told the paper.

Bangkok Airways operates four flights a day between Cambodia's capital and the key tourist destination of Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat temple complex, which is visited by millions of people annually.

Bangkok Airways began flying the route last year after its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded amid reports of financial irregularities and safety concerns following an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

7 comments:

KE said...

Sound excellence. Cambodians should consider more local services, products and quality rather than exporting and/or using from outsides. This would reflect on nationalism but not so chauvinism and also anti-irredentism.

KE..

Anonymous said...

It seems as if a new economic cold war just precipited between the two nations. However, we'll wait to see what's on the Thai's plate. Nonetheless, the dog devourers will be joyful.

CPP Traitor

Anonymous said...

Better watch your headline, motherfucker!

Anonymous said...

Not "precipited," but rather "precipitated.":Correction

CPP Hater

Anonymous said...

no more business monopoly for siem's bangcock airlines in cambodia and europe. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

don't blame cambodia, blame, america, france, germany, japan,etc for no interest in investing in airline business in cambodia, ok. remember, cambodia is welcomed every nation to invest. don't wait too long, though as cambodia and khmer people don't want to wait for no one, really! life goes on with or without you, you know! c'es la vie, n'est-ce-pas! surement!

Anonymous said...

Every other nation loves to see us fighting with one another so watch out if we don't work together as a team we will lose everything in the end. Khmer people, we got to be smarter...we must think deep. War and distruction can benifit not one. Love, respect and lookout for oneanother is the answer to everything.