Budget carrier AirAsia delivered its first cargo of guests from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville on Wednesday, making Malaysia the third country to supply direct flights to Cambodia’s hottest beach destination.
The route is predicted to initially operate 4 flights every week and can help Sihanoukville proceed to grow passenger numbers as a part of the federal government’s technique to diversify its tourism industry beyond the world-famous Angkorian temples in Siem Reap province and the capital and business center of Siem Reap. Phnom Penh.
“This coastal city in Cambodia offers enormous potential and dynamic opportunities in tourism, trade and economy. We are delighted to be part of this journey to further develop Sihanoukville,” said Spencer Lee, Director of Advertising at AirAsia Malaysia.
The latest direct flight to Sihanoukville comes a couple of 12 months after the primary international service from Ho Chi Minh City was launched by Cambodia Angkor Air, which has since launched a charter service connecting Sihanoukville and Macau.
While Sihanoukville has long claimed to have an “international” airport, it is barely recently that flight and passenger numbers have begun to be released to support this designation. According to government data, within the second quarter of 2017, the variety of tourist arrivals by air increased by 270% year-on-year.
The overall number of individuals visiting the coast can be growing steadily, although at a much slower pace. According to the Phnom Penh Post, the federal government reported that a complete of 1.2 million people, including domestic tourists, visited Sihanoukville in the primary half of 2017, a rise of 15% from last 12 months.
According to the Post.
In December 2016, VINCI Airports, the parent company of Cambodia Airports, launched a project to expand the present terminal in Sihanoukville by 80%, from 2,700 square meters to 4,800 square meters, to handle 500,000 passengers per 12 months.
Éric Delobel, CEO of Cambodia Airports, the corporate that operates the country’s three international airports in these locations, said the rise in visitors to Sihanoukville necessitates further expansion of facilities.
“Further improvement of the airport’s infrastructure and passenger comfort is crucial, which is why we will inaugurate a new terminal in early 2018 and rebuild the runway capacity for larger aircraft,” he said in a press release on Wednesday.
Source: Sea-globe.com
