Cambodian troops 'fire at passenger jet': Thai army

The Siem Reap International Airport in Cambodia. Cambodian troops fired shots at a passenger aircraft flying near the country's disputed border with Thailand, believing it to be a spy plane, the Thai army said Thursday. "The Cambodian military fired because there was a Thai passenger plane -- Bangkok Airways -- which could not land at Siem Reap airport because of bad weather," a spokesman said

AFP – July ,12 ,2012

Cambodian troops fired shots at a passenger aircraft flying near the country's disputed border with Thailand, believing it to be a spy plane, the Thai army said Thursday.

"The Cambodian military fired because there was a Thai passenger plane -- Bangkok Airways -- which could not land at Siem Reap airport because of bad weather," said deputy army spokesman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong.

"It was misunderstood by Cambodia to be spy plane," he said, adding that no one was hurt in the incident near the northern Cambodian tourist destination of Siem Reap.

Cambodian military at the border -- the site of deadly territorial clashes between the neighbouring countries last year -- confirmed troops had opened fire at an aircraft.

Cambodia to stop Bangkok Airways' Cambodian domestic flights

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian government will not renew its agreement with Bangkok Airways, under which the Thai-owned airline flies Cambodian domestic routes, when it expires on Oct. 25, local media reported on Friday, citing a senior aviation official.

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Secretary of State Mao Havannal was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that the decision was made to give a boost to the new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), which made its maiden flight on July 28.

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

Bangkok Airways has been flying four flights daily between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap since taking over the route last November when its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded by the SSCA.

SSCA Cabinet Chief Long Chheng said Thursday that the body sent Bangkok Airways a letter last week informing it of the decision.

Bangkok Airways Acting Country Director Amornrat Kongsawat has not been available for comment.

Cambodia to end Bangkok Airways domestic flights

Friday, September 25, 2009
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's civil aviation authority said Friday it will not renew an agreement for Thai-owned Bangkok Airways to operate domestic services in the kingdom when it expires next month.

Bangkok Airways has been flying daily between Phnom Penh and the tourist hub Siem Reap -- home of the Angkor Wat temples -- since last year after its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded for safety concerns.

Mao Havannal, secretary of state for the state civil aviation, said the government will not extend the agreement for Bangkok Airways to fly the routes when it expires in late October.

"We have already informed Bangkok Airways about the decision," Mao Havannal told AFP without elaborating.

But it appears that the decision was made in order to give a boost to the country's new national airline, Cambodia Angkor Air, which was launched in July to promote tourism in the country.

Tourism is one of the only sources of foreign exchange for impoverished Cambodia, which is recovering from nearly three decades of conflict that ended in 1998.

The kingdom aims to lure three million tourists annually by 2010.

A number of foreign airlines, including Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, currently operate direct flights to Cambodia.

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.