Turkish Airlines has announced plans to launch direct flights between Istanbul, Turkiye and Phnom Penh, Cambodia starting from December 10, 2025. The announcement comes amid a more than 30 per cent increase in Turkish travellers to Cambodia during the first seven months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
The news was revealed during a meeting between Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak and Turkish ambassador Ulku Kocaefe, who led a Turkish Airlines delegation, represented by airline vice-president Umit Develi, to a September 16 meeting at the tourism ministry headquarters.
The Turkish side confirmed that the airline will begin direct flights between Istanbul and Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport on December 10.
The tourism minister described this new development as the result of strong cooperation between the governments and private sectors of both countries. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the embassy and the airline for recognising Cambodia’s tourism potential, citing the country’s strong political stability and peace.
“This is a major achievement for the Royal Government of Cambodia. This new route will significantly increase the number of international travellers and tourists coming to Cambodia,” he said.
Turkish Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines, serving over 350 destinations in 130 countries worldwide.
According to the tourism ministry, Cambodia received a total of 3.71 million international tourists during the first seven months of 2025, a slight decrease of 0.8% compared to the same period in 2024. Among them, 6,080 Turkish nationals visited, a 31.2% increase year-on-year.
The announcement follows one by Etihad Airways, which recently shared that it would launch direct flights from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Phnom Penh on October 3.
In March 2025, during the annual meeting of the State Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SSCA), SSCA minister in charge Mao Havannall said the secretariat was 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 its first flight to Cambodia, landing at the Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, with one interchange in Bangkok. This marked the beginning of air connectivity between Dubai and Siem Reap.
