Cambodia’s aviation sector experienced a notable surge in the first half of the year, with over 3.65 million domestic and international passengers passing through all airports in the country, a 20% increase over the same period in 2024. Notably, Chinese arrivals recorded the highest growth among international guests.
“The growth was due to several factors, including the strong recovery of outbound Chinese tourists, sustained regional air travel demand, easing of travel restrictions and the gradual recovery and strengthening of airline capacity,” said the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), in a recent report, obtained by The Post.
The SSCA highlighted that the countries which contributed most to Cambodia’s aviation sector include China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the US and European nations.
It also reported that no reduction in flight operations was recorded in the past 6–12 months, adding that negotiations are ongoing for new flight connections to India, the Middle East and secondary Chinese cities.
“All airlines continue to operate normally despite minor impacts from tensions at the Cambodia–Thailand border,” it continued.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, secretary of state at the SSCA, told The Post on July 7 that the global economic recovery, revival of international tourism and ongoing flight expansions in the kingdom were factors which contributed to the steady growth in air passengers.
However, he that Cambodia’s aviation sector still faces challenges, including uncertainty in resolving border tensions with Thailand, regional and global geopolitical tensions, fluctuating oil prices and rising operational costs.
“Although Cambodia is currently experiencing border tensions with Thailand, we remain optimistic that our air transport sector will continue to grow. According to forecasts, Cambodia’s civil aviation sector is expected to see annual growth of 16% to 20%,” he said.
Growth is projected to accelerate still further since the government recently announced that the Techo International Airport will commence operations on September 9, with the official inauguration planned for October 20. The new Phnom Penh airport is significantly larger than the existing one, and the government hopes it will welcome an increasing number of international travellers.
The 4F-category large-scale international airport is designed to accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 747-800 and is being developed in three phases. Phase 1 (2020–2030) will handle 15 million passengers per year. Phase 2 (2030–2050) will see capacity grow to 30 million and Phase 3 (after 2050) will reach 45 million.
The SSCA recently reported that Cambodia’s three international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk) experienced a steady increase in air traffic in 2024. The total number of inbound and outbound (two-way) flights reached 58,354, a 14% increase over 2023, while the number of inbound and outbound passengers reached 6,241,842, a 22% increase. Air cargo throughput reached 77,752 tonnes, a 40% increase.
