Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways completed its maiden flight to Cambodia’s Siem Reap on Sunday (7 August) as Cambodia tries to rebuild its tourism sector that has been hard hit by the COVID pandemic. The inaugural first flight of Bamboo Airways from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi touched down at 19:20, which marked a next crucial step in the airline’s roadmap of expanding international network. On this new route, Bamboo Airways operates Embraer-190 aircraft.
Siem Reap International Airport had started witnessing the return of international flights in December 2021 after a 20-month hiatus resulting from the pandemic and its impacts on air travel. It currently accommodates routes from/to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, and two domestic liaisons.
Thach Pierre Hoang, Deputy CCO of Bamboo Airways, said: “This first nonstop Hanoi – Siem Reap flight is Bamboo Airways’ next effort in our journey of expanding international presence. We are more than delighted to offer five-star oriented services at Siem Reap International Airport and look forward to leveraging this valuable partnership with many more upcoming routes in the future. In addition, we expect our new Vietnam – Cambodia route will fulfill its crucial role as aviation bridge and make a substantial contribution to the development of both countries in all aspects such as tourism, economy, culture.”
Stephen King, chief commercial officer at Cambodia Airports, the company that operates the Kingdom’s three international airports, said: “In this challenging time, it is a breakthrough to welcome a new carrier. We are delighted to welcome Bamboo Airways today. We know passengers will appreciate the extra choice offered by the airline’s new service linking Vietnam’s vibrant capital Hanoi and the wonderful city of Siem Reap. This is a further sign of the rebuilding of tourism after the successful vaccination campaign led by Cambodian authorities and subsequent reopening of the Kingdom’s borders. We look forward to welcoming new routes between our two countries partnering with Bamboo Airways in the coming months.”
Under a public-private partnership signed with the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1995, Cambodia Airports holds the concession for the development and management of Cambodia’s network of international airports serving the capital city of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Archeological Complex, and the port city and beach resort of Sihanoukville. The shareholders of Cambodia Airports are France’s VINCI Airports (70 percent) and Muhibbah Masteron Cambodia (30 percent), a Malaysian-Cambodian joint venture.
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