Cambodia Records 3.7 mln Air Passengers in First 9 Months
Passengers arrive at the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Oct. 16, 2023. Photo: Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua
- By Xinhua News Agency
- October 19, 2023 3:05 PM
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia received nearly 3.7 million air travelers during the first nine months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 162 percent, said a senior official on Wednesday.
State Secretariat of Civil Aviation's Undersecretary of State and Spokesman Sinn Chanserey Vutha said international and domestic airlines had operated a total of 37,200 flights to the kingdom during the January-September period this year, a year-on-year rise of 103 percent.
In contrast to the increase in air passengers, the Southeast Asian country saw a 6 percent drop in air cargo volume to over 41,000 tonnes during the first nine months of this year, he said.
Chanserey Vutha has a strong belief that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), which started commercial operations on Monday, will help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia.
"With a 3,600-meter runway, the SAI is a 4E-level international airport that can accommodate long-distance flights from across the world," he told Xinhua.
"We hope the airport will attract new international airlines to operate direct flights to Siem Reap province, home of the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archeological Park," he added.
