Qatar Airways Becomes First ME Airline To Fly To Cambodia

Qatar Airways has become the first Middle East airline to fly to Cambodia after starting daily services between Doha and Phnom Penh.

Flights are operating via Ho Chi Minh City on two-class Airbus A330 aircraft with 36 business and 248 economy seats.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said although Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies in South East Asia, it has a “highly underserved” air travel market.

Alongside funnelling east-west business traffic via its Doha hub, Al Baker envisages that the new route will appeal to leisure travellers given Cambodia’s heritage sites such as Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap and picturesque resorts in Sihanoukville.

Cambodia is also home to a new industry following the recent discovery of oil and minerals, offering potential for overseas investors.

The tourism industry, Cambodia’s second largest income source, received 3.6 million international tourists in 2012, a 24 per cent annual increase.

Next month the airline continues its Asian expansion by starting flights to Chengdu, a destination served by rivals Etihad.