Cambodia to establish national air carrier: PM

PHNOM PENH, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Cambodia hopes to establish a national airline in the near future in a bid to take advantage of rising regional tourism, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday.

The country's last national carrier, Royal Air Cambodge, was shuttered in 2001 after running up losses of 30 million dollars.

Since then, several other domestic airlines have failed to get off the ground, allowing at least 10 foreign carriers free reign to take advantage of lucrative tourist routes both within Cambodia and abroad.

"I am waiting for more negotiations, but don't let this carrier end up like Royal Air Cambodge," Hun Sen said at a meeting between the private sector and government officials.

It is unclear when a new airline might be formed, or by whom, but Hun Sen said talks were underway between the government and prospective airline companies.

The premier downplayed the effect losing Cambodia's national carrier had on tourism, which remains one of the few sources of revenue in the impoverished country.

Some 1.7 million visitors came to Cambodia in 2006, and the country looks set to surpass that total this year, according to tourism officials.

But a national carrier would also help promote Cambodia's tourism potential, as well as encourage visitors to remain longer in the country, travel industry officials say.

Domestic air routes are expected to prove vital to developing some of Cambodia's more remote locations, as well as encouraging travelers to seek sights beyond the famed Angkor temples in northwest Cambodia which remain its most popular tourist draw.

"National carriers are an important tool for promoting destination tourism for any country," said Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents.

"The private sector is glad to hear this news -- we have long expected to see Cambodia with its own airline," he added.

Cambodia to launch national airline: officials

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Nov 23, 2007 (AFP) - Cambodia is to launch a national airline as tourism booms giving it a flag carrier for the first time since a previous effort folded in 2001, officials said Friday.

The impoverished nation's government will ally with two private Indonesian firms, which will provide all the investment and absorb any losses that may arise, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said at a signing ceremony.

"It's a great day ... a day for which we have waited a very long time," Sok An said as he celebrated the deal for the as yet unnamed airline.

The government hopes to start flights within six months to take advantage of the booming tourism sector and will have a 51 percent stake in the venture, Sok An said.

The two firms, Rajawali Group and Ancora International, will get 70 percent of the carrier's eventual profits, the official said.

"A reliable and dependable flag carrier that is also the pride of the country is the key to strong and sustainable economic growth," said Rajawali Group chairman Peter Sondakh.

Some 1.7 million visitors came to Cambodia in 2006 with the country set to surpass that total this year, according to tourism officials.

A national carrier would encourage visitors to stay longer in Cambodia, travel industry officials have said.

Extra domestic air routes would open up Cambodia's more remote locations and encourage travellers to seek sights beyond the famed Angkor temples in northwest Cambodia, its most popular tourist draw, they have said.

The last national carrier, Royal Air Cambodge, folded in 2001 after running up losses of 30 million dollars.

Several other domestic airlines have failed since then, giving at least 10 foreign carriers free reign to profit from growing tourist numbers.

Any ideas where international destinations will be?

/\

I suppose they'll start with services from Phnom Penh to nearby major South East Asian cities like Bangkok, Ho-Chi-Minh-City, Vientiane, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

IMHO, to really survive, I think they should tie-up with a carrier in the region, with either Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines or Vietnam Airlines. If not, the airline will end up failing yet again like First Cambodia Airlines, etc...

If the new airline were to survive, then it should focus on cross-regional alliances, not with other carriers within the immediate area. Why would Thai want to collude with a competitor when it can fly its own planes into Cambodia (Siem Reap or Phnom Penh) and keep the profits all to themselves? Yet for an upstart carrier with no historical performance data, entering a major international alliance or even striking airline deals would be enough of a challenge.

If they had the intention to survive, they wouldn´t team up with Indonesian partners...
:ohno:

Vietnam Govt:Vietnam Airlines To Join Aviation JV In Cambodia
23 July 2009

HANOI (Dow Jones)--Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam's flag carrier, will open an airline in Cambodia, the government said Friday in a statement.

The new airline, called Cambodia Angkor Air, will be launched on Monday.

Vietnamese state media said this week the new airline will be a joint venture, with the Cambodian government holding a 51% stake and Vietnam Airlines holding the rest.

It will provide services between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and Siem Reap, said the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper.

Cambodian new national airline makes profit: PM
24 December 2009
AFP

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday said the country's new national airline, Cambodia Angkor Air, had begun to turn a profit, raising hopes it would not fail like its predecessor.

The airline, which has capitalisation of 100 million dollars, was launched in July following the failure of a previous effort in 2001.

Cambodia Angkor Air, a joint venture between the government and Vietnam Airlines, aims to promote Cambodia as a destination and boost tourism.

"We expected the airline to make losses for two years, but now this airline is making profit because a lot of passengers are using it," Hun Sen said during a provincial ceremony.

The last national carrier, Royal Air Cambodge, folded in 2001 after running up losses of 30 million dollars.

Cambodia Angkor Air flies between tourist hub Siem Reap and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City.

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 next year and in 2009 attracted more than two million holidaymakers.

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

I am not sure if I should post it here.

Cambodia is having another airlines (private) called Tonlesap Airlines.

http://tonlesapairlines.com/Aircraft.html

Here are more pictures from http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/527/5277542.html

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20110328/201103281010541257.jpg

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20110328/201103281011263779.jpg

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20110328/201103281022063891.jpg

More of Tonle Sap Airlines (from Jetphotos.net)

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/4/0/8/7/51289_1325902780.jpg

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/3/2/1/9/59625_1320487912.jpg

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/3/0/3/4/71572_1319373430.jpg

Another Korean owned Cambodia Airlines - Skywings Asia Airlines (from Jetphotos.net)

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/4/2/9/2/63854_1327064292.jpg

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/3/6/7/4/83582_1320935476.jpg

http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/3/7/1/2/14723_1320536217.jpg