Cambodia Angkor Air Schedules India Entry, Plans Expansion & Codeshare Agreement

Finally, Cambodia and India are going to have a non-stop flight connection. The flag carrier of Cambodia, Cambodia Angkor Air has announced its plans to start direct flights connecting Phnom Penh to Delhi. This way, it will connect the Capital cities of both countries.

In this article, we will have a look at the airline’s entry and expansion plans in the Indian market. Stay tuned till the end.

Cambodia Angkor Air India Entry

In March month, the Cambodian Flag Carrier announced its plans to introduce non-stop flights between Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH). Now, the airline has announced the entry specifications.

From June 16, it will start non-stop flights between both cities. It will operate four times a week with Airbus A320 aircraft. Flights will be operational on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Here is a quick look at flight timings:

Cambodia Angkor Air has a fleet of 2 A320s and 1 A321 aircraft, along with a regional fleet of a couple of ATR-72s. The A320s, expected to be deployed on the Delhi route are configured with 180 seats in all-economy configuration.

This will be the first time that India will be directly connected to Cambodia. The Chief Commercial Officer of the airline, Eng Molina in a conversation with The Hindu Business Line discussed the next moves of the airline after entry.

Cambodia Angkor Air: Expansion in India Market

From June 16, the airline will start with four weekly flights between Delhi and Phnom Penh. Within six months of launch, i.e. by December month, it is eyeing to increase the frequency of these flights to daily. This is subject to market demand and supply. Besides Delhi, it is looking to connect Cambodia to Mumbai as well.

Alongside, it is in discussions with Indian carriers for signing a codeshare agreement. A codeshare will allow the airline to penetrate deeper into the market and streamline passenger flow. However, initially, it will operate independently. The codeshare agreement will go live once the route is properly established. The executives of the airline have high hopes for this route.

Before the pandemic, the number of Indian tourists to Cambodia used to be around 75,000. But now, the number is sitting at around 40,000. Ambassador of Cambodia to India, Kuong Koy said that with these direct flights, the country is aiming to cater to twice the number of pre-pandemic Indian tourists. It aims to achieve this within the next two years.

According to Cambodia Angkor Air CCO, in the initial period, the airline will be focusing on leisure travelers from India. Cambodia is advertising itself as a medical and religious tourism destination. Business travelers are another group, in which the airline sees immense potential. The goal is to achieve at least 70% load factors on these flights.

Will Any Indian Carrier be Interested?

There are two questions for Indian airlines. Will any Indian airline be interested in operating flights to Cambodia? Will any airline codeshare with Cambodia Angkor Air? Let’s try to find the answers.

First question: Will any Indian airline be interested in operating Cambodia flights? The answer is: It depends. Indian airlines, specifically IndiGo have a history of testing waters before diving into the market. For example, the Kazakhstan market. Air Astana started operating between Almaty and Delhi, after which other airlines became aware of the market potential and launched Almaty flights.

During the pandemic, IndiGo received demand from a lot of foreign cities to operate charter flights. Later, the airline leveraged this analysis to start scheduled flights to various international destinations. Once Cambodia Angkor Air starts operations and if the airline sees enough demand, there is a chance that we may see an Indian airline operating to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. The answer lies in the “if”.

Now, next question: Will any Indian airline be interested in a codeshare agreement with Cambodia Angkor Air? The answer is absolutely yes. A codeshare agreement is a win-win situation for both airlines. Indian Airlines will leverage the network of Angkor Air, while the latter will make the most of the former’s network. In any case, passenger numbers rise for both airlines.

India-Southeast Asian Market Growing

In the past few months, the market between India and Southeast Asia has seen unprecedented growth. Recently, Thailand has extended the visa-free entry for Indian citizens. Malaysia introduced it in December 2023. With this, the travel between both regions has become more seamless.

Airlines have also increased flights. Air India and IndiGo have announced Phuket flight increments. AirAsia is growing in the Indian market like crazy.

India and Thailand recently signed a new service agreement, increasing seats in the bilateral air service agreement. On the day of writing this article, IndiGo resumed flights between Chennai and Bangkok. Furthermore, Bali has been connected to Bengaluru and Delhi.

In short, the increment in connectivity between India and Southeast Asia is a trend. Here is hoping that Cambodia Angkor Air rides this trend and establishes a powerful Indian network.

Conclusion: Cambodia Angkor Air India Entry

Cambodia Angkor Air has announced its entry into the Indian market. From June 16, it will operate 4X weekly flights between Delhi and Phnom Penh. Once after launch, it will look to increase frequency to 7 times a week. Further, a connection to Mumbai is anticipated. Initially, the airline will operate independently, but later on, it may look for a codeshare partner.

What do you think about this new connection between India and Cambodia by Cambodia Angkor Air? Discuss in the comment section.