The centre says 2014 was the fifth consecutive year in which Cambodia’s air passenger traffic had risen by more than 10 per cent. The increasing numbers of passengers utilising national airports is down to a 60 per cent rise in the number of tourists from China.
Chinese airlines serve three quarters of the available seats on China-Cambodia routes, but Cambodian carriers such as Sky Angkor Airlines are making inroads into the market. Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are the two main airports in Cambodia.
Sihanoukville International Airport is the third airport in the country. Despite being only five kilometres from a popular Gulf of Thailand seaside resort, it has been little used until the past few years. Last year, Sihanoukville clocked up 43,000 passenger arrivals. This was 100 per cent up on the previous year.
Sky Angkor Airlines launched services connecting Hang Zhou in China and Sihanoukville last week. Cambodia Airports marketing director Khek Norinda said he believed the route would prosper as Sihanoukville has casinos, restaurants and entertainment aplenty and these are major enticements for Chinese tourists.
Cambodian air passenger numbers soar
News in Asia
Statistics just released show that Cambodia’s air industry is booming and that 5.7 million passengers passed through its three chief airports in 2014. Figures released by Australia’s Centre for Aviation indicate this is a 13 per cent rise when compared with 2013.