Cathay Pacific To Offer Daily Phnom Penh-Hong Kong Flights From October 2024
Cathay Pacific has signed an MoU with Cambodia Airports to provide daily direct flights to Phnom Penh from Hong Kong in a commitment to improve Cambodia’s regional integration and tourism development.
The MoU was signed by Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Ronald Lam and Cambodia Airports Chief Executive Officer Mr Cyril Girot in Phnom Penh on a busy day of Hong Kong and Cambodian relations. A delegation is in the capital, led by John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), to strengthen business and economic ties.
Hong Kong’s home airline carrier will now offer daily flights starting 27 October 2024, increasing from the five flights per week currently available. The flights will be operated using Airbus A321neo aircraft. Cathay Cargo also currently operates twice-weekly freighter flights between Phnom Penh and Hong Kong.
A press release added, “This is a key milestone in the Cathay Group’s commitment to strengthen its network in South East Asia, further enhancing connectivity, trade and cultural exchange between Hong Kong and ASEAN countries.”
Cathay CEO Mr Ronald Lam said: “As Cambodia’s economy continues to grow from strength to strength, we are delighted to be increasing our frequencies between Phnom Penh and Hong Kong. This will allow more options and convenience for our customers from Cambodia to fly to Hong Kong and our extended network in the Chinese Mainland, North East Asia, Europe and the Americas."
Hong Kong-based Airlines Could Increase Connectivity to Cambodia
Cathay Pacific resumed operations in Cambodia in 2021 following a 16-month pause due to the global pandemic (previously operated by Cathay Dragon).
Hong Kong media also reported that the airline would also consider the resumption of flights to Siem Reap from Hong Kong, but the destination was not covered by the latest agreement signed with the operator of Phnom Penh’s airport. HK Express (Cathay’s low-cost subsidiary) suspended its flights to Siem Reap from HK in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Jeff Sun Jianfeng, chairman of Hong Kong Airlines, also said its MoU signed in Phnom Penh was a non-binding agreement with Cambodia Airways but no specific plans were being made at present.
Cambodia Striving For Increased Flight Connectivity
Even though the increased flight routes are a top priority for the Kingdom to boost tourism and deepen its integration into wider Asia, this is the latest of several routes which are already serviced, and not to a new destination. The latter is what most tourism experts in the industry have been calling for. The Hong Kong to Phnom Penh route is served by Cathay and Cambodia Angkor Air Airlines.
Recently Air Asia (its Thai and Cambodian operations) has announced flights between Sihanoukville and Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap and Phuket, and Phnom Penh Kuala Lumpur. These are also flight options that already exist, or did pre-pandemic.
Other routes announced by airlines in 2024 have been flights between Phnom Penh and Hanoi (already serviced), and Phnom Penh-Dubai (brought back from pre-COVID) by Emirates, among others.
The only new notable flight destination is between Phnom Penh and New Delhi in India which was launched in June 2024 by Cambodia Angkor Air.
In July 2024, Cambodian National Assembly President Khuon Sudary backed plans to launch direct flights from Cebu Island, Philippines, to Phnom Penh, while potential direct flights between Cambodia and Australia, Japan, and Europe have also been touted over the past year following high-level meetings.
The new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport opened in November 2023, and despite state assurances, has received criticism, with the new Phnom Penh Techo International Airport due to be operational in 2025 - both are capable of accommodating larger flights for long-haul destinations.