Air Cambodia, the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, has announced plans to introduce the COMAC C909 aircraft, produced by China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), to its fleet, in mid-2026.
The initiative is part of the airline’s long-term fleet modernisation programme aimed at enhancing resilience and competitiveness in the regional aviation market.
This business plan followed an October 22 visit by Mao Havannall, Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) and chairman of Air Cambodia, to the COMAC headquarters in Shanghai, China.
His delegation included Zhan David, CEO of Air Cambodia, senior officials of the SSCA and representatives from the airline’s management team.
According to SSCA spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha, the visit achieved a major strategic outcome: Air Cambodia will introduce and operate the COMAC C909 aircraft, beginning in the second half of 2026.
He described the visit as marking the beginning of a new era of mutual benefit and win-win strategic cooperation in civil aviation — contributing to peace, prosperity and shared development under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“This cooperation is a key component of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two nations. It supports shared development priorities under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Lancang–Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Framework, and the Cambodia 2030 Air Transport Development Vision,” he said.
“It will strengthen Cambodia’s air-connectivity expansion, trade flows, tourism recovery and regional economic integration across the Mekong region,” he added.
During the visit, the Cambodian delegation congratulated COMAC on its progress in the global civil-aircraft industry and expressed Cambodia’s strong confidence in the COMAC aircraft family.
COMAC chairman He Dongfeng reaffirmed the manufacturer’s commitment to supporting Air Cambodia’s development and assisting Cambodia in strengthening sovereign aviation capabilities, by positioning the airline as a regional pioneer of the C909.
According to Chanserey Vutha, the manufacturer confirmed that it will deploy its internationally recognised “6S” service support model to the airline, to ensure continuous operational excellence.
“This approach will accelerate MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) capability development, enhance workforce localisation and strengthen Cambodia’s long-term aviation self-reliance and safety oversight capacity,” he noted.
Zhan David highlighted how the C909’s operational efficiency, range and optimised cost structure align with Air Cambodia’s strategic route-development plan — particularly for links with second- and third-tier cities in China and key destinations across Southeast Asia.
This partnership builds on a September 8 memorandum of understanding (MoU) which was signed in Zhengzhou, where Air Cambodia agreed to acquire 20 C909 aircraft (10 firm orders + 10 purchase rights), ensuring a strong commercial and regulatory foundation for future growth.
Air Cambodia announced that it remains committed to a balanced and diversified fleet strategy, maintaining cooperation not only with COMAC but also with major aircraft manufacturers from Europe and the US, ensuring operational neutrality, safety and resilience within the global aviation ecosystem.
