New Expanded British Airways Flights To Bangkok Enables Easier Cambodian Access

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New Expanded British Airways Flights To Bangkok Enables Easier Cambodian Access

British Airways has announced plans to recommence flights to Bangkok for the first time since 2020 allowing for more seamless travel to destinations across Southeast Asia including Phnom Penh and Siem Reap with its codeshare partner airline Bangkok Airways. There are still currently no direct flights from Cambodia to the UK or Europe.

The announcement also means there should be downward pressure on flight prices between London and Bangkok, as British Airways resumes flights in October with 3 flights per week. The flights will operate from London Gatwick to Bangkok from 28 October 2024, with an increased frequency of up to five times per week between January and March 2025.

The UK carrier, British Airways, said that its customers can book a single ticket from London via Bangkok to five holiday hotspots, including Koh Samui, Phuket and Chaing Mai in Thailand, as well as Phnom Penh (PNH) and Siem Reap (SAI) in Cambodia.

This agreement means British Airways customers travelling from or transiting through London will be able to connect to their final destination in Thailand or Cambodia on a single ticket. Customers can expect more choice and flexibility when travelling to one of these five popular holiday destinations,” they added.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, said: “In October, we will be operating our first direct flight to Thailand in more than four years, so it’s a highly anticipated return to our global network. Knowing that this route will be particularly popular with our leisure customers, we're pleased to be working with Bangkok Airways to offer more choices and make these sought-after holiday destinations more accessible.”

Cambodia's Goal Is To Expand Direct Flight Routes To Increase Tourism

Although the Cambodian government has made it very public it wants to increase access to its international airports to more destinations with direct flights, there have been very few new routes announced since the pandemic.

However one of the casualties has been domestic airline Lanmei, which was operating flights until 2023, which seems to have finally ceased operations as its final leased A320 aircraft has been returned. The airline appears to have stopped operations at the start of 2024 and their website is no longer accessible. Lanmei commenced operations in 2017 and serviced domestic and regional flights.

The new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport opened in November 2023, while the under-construction Phnom Penh Techo International Airport is due to be operational in 2025 - both are capable of accommodating larger flights for long-haul destinations.

Cambodia Travel and Tourism News