Passengers with their friends and families at Techo International Airport. - PPP/ANN
PHNOM PENH: The number of passengers passing through Cambodia’s three international airports in 2025 totalled almost seven million, an increase of more than 10 per cent compared to 2024, while air cargo volume rose by more than 20 per cent. At present, 36 domestic and international airlines operate in Cambodia’s aviation sector.
A report released by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) on January 14 stated that from January to December 2025, the Kingdom’s three international airports — Techo International Airport, Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport and Sihanouk International Airport — handled a total of 64,821 inbound and outbound flights, an increase of 11 per cent over 2024.
During the same period, inbound and outbound air passengers reached 6,988,259, up 11 per cent, while inbound and outbound air cargo amounted to 93,889 tonnes, up 21 per cent. On average, the three international airports handled 1,272 two-way flights per week.
“To date, Cambodia’s civil aviation sector comprises 36 airlines (four domestic and 32 international), operating flight connections with 17 countries and 46 cities. Of these 17 countries, Cambodia is connected to eight Asean countries, as well as other destinations including China, South Korea, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Taiwan, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Japan,” noted the report.
According to the SSCA, Cambodia’s civil aviation sector has shown notable progress, especially over the past three years. In 2023, total two-way flights numbered 51,149; in 2024, 58,354; and in 2025, 64,821. Passenger numbers rose from 5,111,810 in 2023 to 6,241,842 in 2024, and further to 6,988,259 in 2025.
Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, told The Post that domestic political stability, the construction and development of airports, the friendliness of the Cambodian people and the country’s diverse tourist attractions are the key magnets which help attract international guests.
She added that the growth in air travellers is a positive sign for Cambodia’s tourism sector and expressed her hope for more flight connections to further open Cambodia’s skies to the world. She noted that air transportation plays a vital role not only for tourism but also for the broader economy.
“From the perspective of the tourism sector, we want as many direct flights into the country as possible so that we can attract tourists from all directions,” she said.
In 2025, several new international routes were launched, including by Turkish Airlines (Istanbul–Phnom Penh), India’s IndiGo Airlines (Kolkata–Siem Reap) and Malaysia’s Firefly Airlines (Kuala Lumpur–Siem Reap). - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
