Cambodia's national carrier adds new aircraft, targeting Singapore, China

English.news.cn   2013-01-06 15:04:38

Flight attendants of Cambodia Angkor Air pose for photos next to the new Airbus 321 plane at Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia, Jan. 6, 2013. The national flag carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), added a new passenger plane on Sunday in order to expand new flight destinations to countries in the region, said a senior government official. (Xinhua/Phearum)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The national flag carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), added a new passenger plane on Sunday in order to expand new flight destinations to countries in the region, said a senior government official.
"The new Airbus 321 plane is leased from an Airbus manufacturer in France," Tek Rethsamrach, secretary of state at the Council of Ministers and CAA's president, told reporters at a new plane welcoming ceremony at the Phnom Penh International Airport on Sunday.
"The plane will be used to operate to key international destinations including Phnom Penh-Hanoi, Phnom Penh-Bangkok, and soon, we will expand flights to Guangzhou City in China's Guangdong province, China's Hong Kong and Singapore," he said.
In the future, the CAA will also consider flying to one of India's cities, he added.
Those destinations have great potential for Cambodia's tourism, and the country has more active trade and investment relations with those countries and regions, he said.
To date, the CAA has two ATR-72 aircraft and three Airbus 321 aircraft, and has operated several international flights including Phnom Penh-Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap-Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap- Hanoi, Phnom Penh-Hanoi, and Siem Reap-Bangkok.
CAA officially launched operations in July 2009. It is a joint venture between the Cambodian government, which owns 51 percent of the stake, and Vietnam Airlines, which holds the remaining stake.