Prince International Airlines to join domestic aviation market

Prince International Airlines has been granted an air operator certificate (AOC) by the Cambodia State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA). Prince International Airlines applied for the AOC in Cambodia about two years ago (2018). On the company's Facebook page, they were advertising vacancies in 2018 and said they plan to fly domestic and international flights. The Cambodian airline had met SSCA’s five strict AOC requirements before being granted the license. The Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SCCA) Mao Havannal said: "Before receiving the AOC, the company had already met technical requirements, which are under strict examination by SSAC’s expert officials in accordance with Cambodia’s regulations to ensure safe operations both locally and internationally". The SCCA granted Prince International Airlines their Air Operator Certificate (AOC)

Airlines in Cambodia

Despite the global airline industry facing unprecedented financial woes in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline will become the 7th Cambodian airline to be in operation:

• Cambodia Angkor Air
• Sky Angkor Airlines
• Bassaka Air
• JC (Cambodia) International Airlines
• Lanmei Airlines
• Cambodia Airways
• Prince International Airlines

There are also four cargo airlines that operate in Cambodia. In 2020, Lanmei Airlines has also promised to add more routes to and from Cambodia. Lanmei will hope to have a Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur daily service starting on 1st August 2020. Cambodia Airways had also said in April 2020 that it plans to "further expand its businesses and investments to contribute to the development of Cambodia" said Chairman Chen Bo. Cambodia also has two helicopter operators:

• Helicopter Cambodia
• Helistar Cambodia

International air travel 2020

The international aviation industry has been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19 and most flights have ground to a halt. However, around 25 international flights are entering and leaving Cambodia weekly from China, according to Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA). The Cambodian ministry reported there were 1.4 million domestic tourists in the first quarter of 2020, a 34% decrease compared with the same period in 2019, while the arrival of foreign tourists also dropped by 38% to 1.15 million in Q1 2020. Vietnam Airlines and Asiana Airlines have indicated they will resume flights to Cambodia in the coming months. Asiana will have three weekly flights to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. The new restrictions implemented by the Cambodian Royal Government require foreign visitors to Cambodia to have new requirements and to pay for any COVID-19 testing. Currently, no new tourist visas are being issued.

Airports in Cambodia

There are international airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville within Cambodia. However, there are new airports being constructed in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Koh Rong with all airports undergoing expansions and improvements. Norinda Khek, Communication & PR Director of Cambodia Airports said the number of passengers for May 2020 in Cambodia were down by 98% in all three Cambodian international airports compared to the same month last year. You can read more about the current state of the Cambodian airports here.