Phnom Penh: Cambodia is projected to receive 7.5 million air passengers in 2025, marking an expected rise of 20 percent from 2024, Mao Havannall, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), announced on Wednesday. Havannall made these remarks during the closing ceremony of a two-day conference in Phnom Penh.
According to Lao News Agency, Cambodia currently enjoys direct flight connections with 12 countries and regions. The minister highlighted that 31 international and domestic airlines operated a total of 58,354 flights to the kingdom's three international airports in 2024, reflecting a 14 percent increase from the previous year. He also noted a significant growth in air cargo volume, which surged by 40 percent to reach 77,800 tons last year.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, the agency's secretary of state and spokesperson, expressed confidence that the recently inaugurated Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, along with the upcoming Techo International Airport set to commence operations in July 2025, will play a crucial role in attracting more international airlines and passengers. "The two new international airports are capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, so I believe that they will be able to attract more reputable international airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia," he told Xinhua.