Cambodia reports 4.11 million air passengers in first 10 months - an increase of 144%, says minister

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (Xinhua): Cambodia registered 4.11 million air travellers during the first 10 months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 144 percent, Mao Havannall, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation has announced.

Some 32 international and domestic airlines had operated a total of 41,596 flights to the kingdom's three international airports during the January-October period this year, up 93 percent year on year, he said.

Havannall said Cambodia currently has direct flights with eight ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries, as well as China, South Korea, and Qatar, among others.

"Overall, we can assume that the aviation industry in Cambodia has recovered more than 55 percent compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era in 2019," he said in a speech during the inauguration of the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI).

The minister expressed his hope that the SAI, Cambodia's biggest airport so far, will help attract new international airlines and travelers, especially from China, to Siem Reap province, the home of the Angkor Archaeological Park.

"The SAI will give a boost to the kingdom's economic growth, promote aviation, tourism and investment, and contribute further to poverty reduction," he said.

"We are confident that this new airport will become a bridge connecting Cambodia to a wider world," he added. - Xinhua