Etihad Airways is set to become the first airline to operate direct flights between the Middle East and Phnom Penh. Currently, travel between these two destinations typically involves regional stopovers in other countries.
After meeting with Charles Tan, regional manager for Asia at Etihad Airways on September 12, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak announced that starting October 3, Etihad Airways, a world-class airline, will launch non-stop flights between Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Phnom Penh.
This direct flight connection is seen as a significant milestone for the Cambodian government in 2025.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Royal government, Etihad Airways will launch a direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh, starting on October 3, 2025,” said the minister.
The announcement of the new routes came shortly after the Techo International Airport — a more than $2 billion project — officially commenced operations on September 9. The airport has a passenger capacity of 15 million per year for the period 2025–2030, with expansion plans to handle 30 million passengers by 2030 and 50 million by 2050.
According to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), between September 9 and 15, 2025, Techo International Airport (KTI) handled an average of 130 inbound and outbound flights per day, with an average of 15,000 passengers.
Currently, 28 airlines operate flights to and from Techo International Airport, comprising 4 domestic airlines and 24 international airlines.
Thourn Sinan, president of the Cambodia Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), described this as a major step forward for Cambodia’s civil aviation sector. Until now, most flights from the Middle East to Cambodia have been operated by Qatar Airways and Emirates, both of which required stopovers in other ASEAN countries before continuing to Cambodia.
He emphasised that Etihad Airways is a major global airline with flights to many countries, including Cambodia’s neighbouring nations. He added that the new direct flights will make international travel much easier for Cambodians, who previously had to make several layovers.
“This direct connection will have many positive impacts for Cambodia. It’s not just about linking to the Middle East — it connects Cambodia to the global market,” he told The Post on September 15.
“The presence of Etihad will have significant benefits, especially in the tourism and trade sectors,” he added.
Though the number of travellers from the Middle East to Cambodia is currently modest, he noted that the Middle East is a strategic hub, connecting travellers from other regions — especially Europe — to Cambodia.
According to the tourism ministry, in the first 7 months of 2025, Cambodia received a total of 3.71 million international tourists, a slight 0.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Among them, 143 came from the UAE, up 15.3%. Travellers from the Middle East totalled 1,913 overall, an increase of 7.2%.
In March 2025, during the SSCA, Minister Mao Havannall shared that the SSCA is facilitating procedures to support new air routes from Dubai to Siem Reap by Emirates Airlines, Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh by Etihad Airways and Istanbul to Phnom Penh by Turkish Airlines.
On June 3, Emirates Airlines launched a new route from Dubai to Siem Reap, landing at the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport — marking the first official air connection between Dubai (UAE) and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are prominent cities in the UAE, with Abu Dhabi as the capital, and Dubai as the commercial and tourism hub.
SSCA spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha welcomed Etihad Airways’ announcement. However, he clarified that the civil aviation authority has not yet received an official flight application from the airline.
“The plan for direct flights is confirmed, and we have already granted initial approval. But before launching, the airline must submit a formal request to operate. As of now, we haven’t received that yet. Typically, airlines submit applications about 2-3 weeks before their first flight,” he explained.
In addition to Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines has also announced plans to begin direct flights from Istanbul to Phnom Penh, starting December 10.
According to an SSCA report on Cambodia’s aviation sector for the January–July 2025 period, the three international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk) handled a total of 37,492 two-way flights, an increase of nearly 16% compared to the same period in 2024. The number of passenger movements reached 4.08 million, also up by 16%, and air cargo volume totalled 47,218 tons, marking a 28% increase.
