Cambodia Angkor Air

Air Cambodia
អាកាសចរណ៍ជាតិកម្ពុជា

IATA ICAO Call sign K6 KHV CAMBODIA AIR[1]
Commenced operations	28 July 2009; 15 years ago (2009-07-28)
Hubs	Phnom Penh, Siem Reap
Focus cities	Ho Chi Minh City
Frequent-flyer program	AngkorWards
Fleet size	5[2]
Destinations	13[3]
Parent company	Royal Cambodia Government (51%) Xing Gang Investment Group (28%) Other investors (21%)
Headquarters	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Key people	Mao Havannall (Chairman) David Yuhong Zhan ( CEO)
Employees	> 300
Website	www.aircambodia.com

Air Cambodia (Khmer: អាកាសចរណ៍ជាតិកម្ពុជា), formerly known as Cambodia Angkor Air, is the national flag carrier airline of Cambodia,^[4] with its corporate headquarters and main hub in Phnom Penh.^[5] The company slogan is "Proudly Serve the Kingdom".

History

Early years

ATR-72-500

Air Cambodia is a full-service airline founded in July 2009, by both the Cambodian Government and Vietnam Airlines with an initial capital of $100 million. It offers both Business and Economy class on-board its Airbus aircraft, while only economy class is available on-board the ATR 72. It replaced national airline Royal Air Cambodge, which ceased operations in 2001, and concentrates on serving tourist routes within Asia, most notably catering for visitors of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.^[6] It commenced operations on 28 July 2009. The airline was established as a joint venture by the Cambodian government (51%) and Vietnam Airlines (49%), the latter allowing for codeshare flights. All of its fleet and most of its staff are leased from Vietnam Airlines.^[7]

On 28 July 2009, Air Cambodia launched flights with its ATR 72 on the following routes; Phnom Penh – Siem Reap, Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap – Ho Chi Minh City. Air Cambodia started codesharing with Vietnam Airlines and uses "VN" in place of its airline code "K6" with codeshare flight numbers on Vietnam routes.^[8] On 2 September 2009, the flag carrier received a new Airbus A321.^[9]

2010s

On 14 December 2011, the airline started up a second domestic route within Cambodia, operating 3 weekly Siem Reap – Sihanoukville services on board an ATR 72 turboprop.^[10]

On 30 November 2012, the airline commenced flights to Thailand, between Siem Reap – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport daily, breaking the monopoly of Thai carrier, Bangkok Airways, on this route. The route is operated by CAA's ATR 72 turboprop. On 31 March 2013, Cambodia Angkor Air increased the frequency of Siem Reap to Bangkok, to include a second daily flight. In July later that year, it was increased again to three daily flights.^[11][12]

On 7 January 2013, the airline revealed the launch of Hanoi services from both its hubs at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with one daily flight each, on the Airbus A321. This was the second destination in Vietnam to be served by Air Cambodia.^[11][13] On 1 February 2013, the airline launched its second route to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from Phnom Penh. Flights are operated daily with an Airbus A321.^[14] On 6 March 2013, the airline forecasted a loss for the first time, due to the rapid expansion and increased exposure to competition.^[15] On 6 March 2013, the airline adjusted the Sihanoukville route, where the existing 3 weekly Siem Reap – Sihanoukville return service was rerouted via Phnom Penh, with the flight operating as Siem Reap – Sihanoukville– Phnom Penh – Siem Reap.^[16] On 14 July 2013, the airline commenced charter operations on the Siem Reap – Xiamen route.^[17] On 26 September 2013, the airline commenced its inaugural flights to China breaking the monopoly of China Southern Airlines who had operated a daily frequency, which switched to a frequency of 11 flights.^[18] The route is Guangzhou- Siem Reap, operating daily using an Airbus A320. On 26 December 2013, the airline commences its seasonal Siem Reap – Hangzhou route. Also on 26 December 2013, the airline commenced new scheduled services to Shanghai–Pudong from both its hubs at Siem Reap and Phnom Penh each with four flights per week with their Airbus A321 aircraft.^[19]

On 18 and 23 January 2014, Air Cambodia started its charter flight to Wenzhou and Zhengzhou. On 1 February 2014, charter flights from Sieam Reap to Fuzhou began.

On 16 January 2015, the airline launched its charter flight to Singapore Changi International Airport with an Airbus A321. On 25 October 2015, the national carrier launched new intra-Indo-China routes. There are connecting flights between Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The airline plans to operate the Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh – Vientiane – Hanoi route 3 times a week, using Airbus A321 aircraft. They will be using Vietnam Airline's code, VN. Vietnam Airlines operate on this route daily. Air Cambodia's K6 code will also appear on Vietnam Airlines' flight on this route. On 30 October 2015, Cambodia Angkor Air resumed its Siem Reap – Shanghai route. On 16 December 2015, the airline launched a new route, Siem Reap – Beijing, with their new A320-200. On 25 December 2015, Air Cambodia started its charter flight to Seoul-Incheon.

On 30 December 2016, the airline resumed its Siem Reap-Hanoi flight while their new A320-200 entered service in the CAAC.

2020s

On 16 April 2020, anticipating a major global travel crisis due to COVID-19, Vietnam Airlines announced that it sold its 49% stake in Air Cambodia to an undisclosed buyer.^[20]

On 22 March 2022, the Khmer Times reported that Chinese media company Sohu announced that state-owned Xing Gang Investment Group purchased a 28% stake in Air Cambodia. This makes the group the second largest shareholder after the Cambodian government.^[21]

On 01 January 2025, Cambodia Angkor Air undergoed an official name change to Air Cambodia.^[22]

Destinations

As of January 2025^[update], Air Cambodia flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:^[23]

Country	City	Airport	Notes	Refs
Cambodia	Phnom Penh	Phnom Penh International Airport	Hub	[24]
	Siem Reap	Siem Reap International Airport	Airport Closed	[24]
		Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport	Hub
	Sihanoukville	Sihanouk International Airport
China	Beijing	Beijing Capital International Airport	Terminated	[25]
	Changsha	Changsha Huanghua International Airport	Terminated
	Chengdu	Chengdu Tianfu International Airport	Terminated
	Chongqing	Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport	Terminated
	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
	Haikou	Haikou Meilan International Airport	Terminated|	[26]
	Hangzhou	Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport	Terminated
	Hefei	Hefei Xinqiao International Airport	Terminated
	Nanchang	Nanchang Changbei International Airport	Terminated
	Nanning	Nanning Wuxu International Airport
	Ningbo	Ningbo Lishe International Airport	Terminated
	Shanghai	Shanghai Pudong International Airport	Terminated
	Shenyang	Shenyang Taoxian International Airport	Terminated
	Tianjin	Tianjin Binhai International Airport	Terminated
	Wenzhou	Wenzhou Longwan International Airport	Terminated
	Wuxi	Sunan Shuofang International Airport	Terminated
	Xiamen	Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport	Terminated
	Zhengzhou	Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Hong Kong International Airport		[27]
India	Delhi	Indira Gandhi International Airport		[28]
Laos	Luang Prabang	Luang Prabang International Airport	Terminated
	Vientiane	Wattay International Airport	Terminated
Palau	Koror	Roman Tmetuchl International Airport	Terminated	[27]
Singapore	Singapore	Changi Airport	Terminated	[29]
Thailand	Bangkok	Suvarnabhumi Airport	resumes 17 February 2025
Vietnam	Da Nang	Da Nang International Airport		[30]
	Hanoi	Noi Bai International Airport
	Ho Chi Minh City	Tan Son Nhat International Airport	Focus city

Codeshare agreements

Air Cambodia has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

• Lao Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines

Fleet

Airbus A321-200

Current fleet

As of July 2024^[update], Air Cambodia operates the following aircraft:^[31][32]

Air Cambodia fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers			Notes
			C	Y	Total
Airbus A320-200	2	1	—	180	180
Airbus A321-200	1	—	16	168	184
ATR 72-500	2	—	—	66	66[32]	Leased from Vietnam Airlines. To be phrase out
ATR 72-600	0	3		TBA	TBA
Total	5	4

Former fleet

• 3 ATR 72-500: 1 are active, while XU-237 is now operating as VN-B220 for Vietnam Air Services Company and XU-235 is now stored at Tan Son Nhat International Airport
• 10 Airbus A321-200: 1 is active, others are now operating with Vietnam Airlines

Future fleet

• Air Cambodia has announced that they will add 1 new Airbus A320-200 and 1 new ATR 72.
• Air Cambodia chairman Samrach Tekreth has announced that Cambodia Angkor Air will spend an undisclosed amount on expanding its fleet to 12 aircraft.
• The carrier has placed an order for three new ATR 72-600 aircraft. The twin turboprop aircraft are set to arrive in the Kingdom in May, November and December of 2025. Each of the aircraft will adopt a two-class layout, including business and economy.^[22]

Livery and logo

The logo represents the Angkor Wat temple symbol & also the bird wing used on the low-relieves at Angkor Wat. It is complemented by a stylized bird wing, referring to fluidity and elegance: the strength and the beauty of the temple, the agility and the speed of the bird. These two components complement each other to describe the qualities of safety and performance that any traveler expects from an airline, with a typical Khmer beauty that brings a special touch of personality to the company.^[33]

Services

On-board

Air Cambodia offers their inflight magazines titled ANGKOR and has been issuing issues since 2014.^[34] They also offer meal services for most flights. These options range from teas, Coca-Cola, noodles and meat. They also offer advance ordering of meals 24 hours before departure.^[35]

Flight pass and ancillary products

Air Cambodia has a partnership with USA based Optiontown^[36] to run a prepaid flight subscription platform called Flight Pass, which enables customers to pre-purchase flights at the best available price and decide when they want to travel at a later date. Under the same partnership, there is an option for passengers to upgrade their ticket to Business or First Class for a low price. In addition, passengers can pre-purchase their preferred seat assignment, extra baggage, lounge access, and empty seats next to them on the flight.^[37]

Award and recognition

On October 24, 2024, Air Cambodia became the first Cambodian airline to receive the Skytrax 3-Star rating, marking a milestone in the nation’s civil aviation sector and reflecting the airline’s commitment to enhancing service quality and aligning with international standards. The Skytrax team awarded Air Cambodia a 3-Star rating based on its airport services, onboard products, and staff quality. Key evaluation factors included seating, facilities, food, cleanliness, and service from both cabin and ground staff. The airline's staff friendliness and proactive service received a commendable 4-Star rating, showcasing the airline's signature "Khmer Smile" and warm hospitality.^[38]

See also

• Transport in Cambodia
• List of airlines of Cambodia

References

1. "JO 7340.2J Contractions" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
2. "Air Cambodia Fleets". flightradar24. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
3. "Destinations". ch-aviation. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
4. "Cambodia gets national carrier with Vietnam's help". Alibaba.com. 26 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
5. "Contact Us". Cambodia Angkor Air. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015. Phnom Penh (Head Office): House 206A, Preah Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh city, Cambodia
6. "Cambodia launches national airline". Saigon Giai Phong. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
7. "Contacts Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Cambodia Angkor Air. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
8. "Camdobia Angkor Air launches operation". airlineroute.net/. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
9. "New carrier buys Airbus jet". Phnom Penh Post. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
10. "Cambodia Angkor Air to start Siem Reap – Sihanoukville from Dec 2011". airlineroute.net/. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
11. "Cambodia Angkor Air to Start Siem Reap – Bangkok Service from late-Nov 2012". airlineroute.net/. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
12. "Cambodia Angkor Air Increases Ho Chi Minh / Bangkok Service from July 2013". airlineroute.net/. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
13. "Cambodia Angkor Air Expands Operation from Jan 2013". airlineroute.net/. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
14. "Cambodia Angkor flies to Bangkok". opendevelopmentcambodia.net. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
15. "Angkor Air forecasts first loss". Phnom Penh Post. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
16. "Cambodia Angkor Air S13 Sihanoukville Operation Changes". airlineroute.net/. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
17. "Airline will offer more China trips". opendevelopmentcambodia.net. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
18. "Cambodia Angkor Air to Start Siem Reap – Guangzhou Service from late-September 2013". airlineroute.net/. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
19. "Cambodia Angkor Air Plans Shanghai Service Launch from late-December 2013". airlineroute.net/. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
20. "Vietnam Airlines sells 49 per cent stake in Cambodia Angkor Air | Phnom Penh Post".
21. "Cambodia Angkor Air sells minority stake to China's state-owned Xing Gang Investment Group | Khmer Times".
22. Pisei, Hin (16 December 2024). "National carrier expanding fleet, announces name change". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
23. "Air Cambodia Routes". flightradar24. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
24. "Cambodia Angkor Air destinations". Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
25. "Cambodia Angkor Air makes Beijing its fifth destination in China". anna.aero. 20 December 2016.
26. "Cambodia Angkor Air adds Haikou charters from July 2017".
27. "Cambodia Angkor Air 1Q24 planned network addition changes - 12 Dec23". AeroRoutes. 13 December 2023.
28. "Cambodia Angkor Air moves India launch to June 2024". AeroRoutes. 1 March 2024.
29. "Cambodia Angkor Air Moves Delhi / Singapore Launch to 1Q24". AeroRoutes. 23 October 2023.
30. "Cambodia Angkor Air Adds New Vietnam Routes in S16". airlineroute. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
31. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 8.
32. "Cambodia Angkor Air Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
33. "Company Logo". Air Cambodia.
34. "Magazine|Cambodia Angkor Air - Proudly The National Flag Carrier". www.cambodiaangkorair.com (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 24 May 2023.
35. "Ancillary Service|Cambodia Angkor Air - Proudly The National Flag Carrier". www.cambodiaangkorair.com (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 24 May 2023.
36. Khmer Times (17 January 2016). "Khmer Times". Retrieved 24 March 2020.
37. "Cambodiaangkorair". Retrieved 24 March 2020.^{[dead link‍]}
38. "Air Cambodia". Skytrax. Retrieved 2 January 2025.

External links

Media related to Cambodia Angkor Air at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website