Despite Cambodia’s civil aviation sector facing numerous challenges in 2025, state revenue collection did not decline, reaching more than $50 million—an increase over 2024.
The 2025 annual performance report and 2026 action plan of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), released February 27, showed that in 2025, the SSCA collected a total of $51.26 million in state revenue, equivalent to 101.32% of the target set in the 2024 Finance Law.
This growth reflected the effectiveness of state revenue mobilisation as well as the implementation of efficient measures, it added.
The report also noted that in 2025, Cambodia’s civil aviation sector provided 4,471 direct jobs, including 1,880 technical aviation specialists and 135 pilots, and generated nearly $600 million in direct business operating revenue. During the year, the SSCA registered 32 aircraft in Cambodia.
In 2025, air passenger traffic reached 6.99 million, an increase of 12%, while air cargo totalled 93,889 tonnes, up 21%. To date, Cambodia has 36 operating airlines, including four domestic carriers and 32 international airlines. Cambodian flights are connected to 18 countries and 46 cities, according to the SSCA.
Mao Havannall, Minister in charge of the SSCA, stated that the civil aviation sector continues to benefit from the legacy and long-term vision of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who implemented the open skies policy in 1999. He explained that the civil aviation sector plays a vital role in transporting passengers and cargo domestically and internationally, contributing to tourism, trade, investment, travel connectivity for citizens and cultural exchange.
He also noted that in 2025, the SSCA successfully facilitated flight approvals for several new airline routes, including Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Phnom Penh, Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh, Emirates from Dubai to Siem Reap, Firefly from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Siem Reap, and IndiGo from Kolkata, India, to Siem Reap.
“To further enhance air connectivity to Cambodia, both in increasing flight frequencies and opening new routes, bilateral air service agreement negotiations with six countries — the UK, Saudi Arabia, the US, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Argentina — are underway and are expected to lead to formal signings in the near future,” he said.
“For 2026, Cambodia’s civil aviation sector expects to receive 8 million air passengers, handle 112,000 tonnes of air cargo and record more than 72,000 flight movements, driven by demand in trade, tourism and cultural exchange,” he added.
