Philippines to establish direct air link with Cambodia

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
By: Paolo G. Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The country’s airlines will soon fly straight to destinations in Cambodia, one of the few members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that do not have direct air links with the Philippines.

During a board meeting held earlier this month, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) gave four airlines the signal to mount a total of 21 weekly flights between various points in Cambodia and the Philippines.

The air link is expected to boost trade and travel between the two countries, which are starting to rely more on their respective tourism sectors to create more jobs and boost growth.

Cambodia, RP to have direct air flights early next year

November 18, 2009

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - Cambodia and Philippines have already signed deal to have direct air links between the two countries and hoped the direct flights will be commenced early next year, a government official said Wednesday.

Soy Sokhan, undersecretary of state of Cambodia's Civil Aviation Secretariat said that both countries signed memorandum of understanding on the matter last September, aimed at boosting tourism sector.

He said according to the MoU, seven flights per week are expected to fly directly from Manila and another seven flights from other cities in the Philippines to Cambodia.

Cebu Air of the Philippines and Cambodia Angkor Air are eligible to this MoU.

He added that Cambodia at present has three international airports: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

Philippines is one of the regional tourist destinations among the ten member states of Association of South East Asian Nations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced an open sky policy in order to attract more foreign tourists visiting his country.

Cambodia, Qatar sign MOU of direct flight

PHNOM PENH, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Qatar set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of direct flight Tuesday afternoon, a Cambodian senior official said here Tuesday.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong made the remarks after Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived at the Phnom Penh International Airport to pay an official visit in the kingdom.

The Qatar Premier's two-day visit is to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two countries and to bring investments from the gulf-region countries to Cambodia, Hor Nam Hong said.

"We expand the direct flight service with Qatar to attract tourists and investors to our country," Moa Havannal, Secretary ofState for the Secretariat of Cambodian Civil Aviation, told Xinhua.

After signing the MOU, it will have a direct flight from Qatar to the Phnom Penh International Airport for first step, he said, adding that later the flights will be expanded to other airports.

The Qatar Premier will hold a talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and he will also meet with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, a press release from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said.

Oil high on Qatar prime minister's Cambodian agenda

Tue, 01 Apr 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Oil and gas issues were high on Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani's agenda on day one of his two-day official visit to Cambodia, a government spokesman told a press conference Tuesday. The sheikh, who is also Qatar's foreign minister, met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and almost immediately inked deals ranging from oil and gas exploration cooperation to direct airline flights, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told journalists.

After being presented with a gift of Cambodian sandalwood by Hun Sen, the Qatar politician signed an expected deal on direct flights between the Qatari capital of Doha and the Cambodian capital, as well as the northern tourist town of Siem Reap.

The sheikh also answered a call by Cambodia for foreign donors to assist it to prepare for an expected influx of oil and gas revenue from offshore oil reserves predicted to be tapped within three years.

He agreed to assist with training of Cambodians in oil and gas exploration, as well as teaming up with the Cambodian government in the future to increase exploration for oil, gas and minerals.

Cambodia has been described as Asia's new mining frontier and the government is hopeful additional petroleum deposits lie under its massive inland Tonle Sap lake.

"He also negotiated for Qatar to begin farming cotton in Cambodia and agreed to loans for roads and irrigation," Kanharith said.

The leaders also discussed investment protection legislation and a multi-million-dollar donation for a new school just outside of the capital.

The sheikh is scheduled to fly to Siem Reap Wednesday to visit the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex before flying out the same day.

Maiden flight linking Europe, Cambodia to touch down at Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Air Finland's Boeing 757 commenced operations on Friday to launch the first commercial direct flight linking Europe and Cambodia, said a press release from SCA, Cambodia's airport management authority.

The aircraft is expected to land at 18:25 local time (1125 GMT)with 213 passengers on board and the new route from Stockholm to Phnom Penh will be a breakthrough by connecting Phnom Penh International Airport to major European cities, it said.

To begin, the carrier plans to operate thrice monthly charter flights with 219-seat Boeing 757s.

"Axis of evil" Iran to cooperate with "autocratic" Cambodia in tourism

Iran to cooperate with Cambodia in tourism

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran has disclosed it plans to cooperate with Cambodia in tourism, local media on Monday quoted officials as saying.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon unveiled the plan following a recent official meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Ghavam Shahidi, reported Cambodian-language newspaper the Rasmei Kampuchea.

"We both should organize promotional programs to make good cooperation between Cambodia and Iran in the tourism sector," Thong Khon said.

Iran hopes to establish a direct flight from Tehran to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap province, as its planes already fly directly to Bangkok and destinations in Vietnam, he said.

Thong Khon suggested that the promotion of tourism industry between the two countries should aim primarily at safe transportation to gain confidence from tourists or travelers.

Altogether 287 Iranian tourists visited Cambodia over the first nine months of 2007, according to Cambodian Tourism Ministry's statistics.