AAA tests Siem Reap flights

Cambodia’s Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, says Bangkok-based Asia Atlantic Airlines recently made its first charter flight from Japan’s Narita International Airport to Siem Reap with more than 260 tourists on board.
Tourism minister, Thong Khon, told a press conference that AAA ran the test flight, 3 May, before committing to two flights a week starting this July, while daily flights could start later this year.
“The number of Japanese visitors to Cambodia will increase strongly in the future after we have a direct service,” he commented.
AAA is offering what is called scheduled charter flights that are pre booked by contracted travel agents in Japan, who buy seat allotments on fixed departures and resell the seats to their customers. Its anchor partner is HIS, a major outbound Japanese tour company.
The minister added that Japan Airlines offered flights to and from Cambodia until 2008, but suspended them in early 2009 due to a lack of passengers.
The AAA flight follows statements by Prime Minister Hun Sen, in February, confirming he supported the start of direct flights between the two countries to boost investment and tourism.
Japan is one of the main markets for Cambodia tourism and investment. Last year, the country welcomed 206,932 Japanese, an increase of 15.4% from 179,327 visits in 2012.
Japan’s direct investment in Cambodia reached about US$47.5 million in 2013, compared to US$328 million in 2012, a US$280 million drop, according to figures provided by the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh.
Asia Atlantic Airlines is a charter airline headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a joint venture between a Japanese travel agent HIS and Thai hotel and real estate investor, Baiyoke Group.
HIS sells two-way tours both out of Japan to Southeast Asia and also to Japan a business that has boomed since Japan awarded visa-free entry to specific ASEAN nations such as Malaysia and Thailand.
Using Boeing 767 aircraft, the airline serves passengers travelling between Thailand and Japan, and Thailand and South Korea, through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai and Incheon International airports.

Sourced: ttrweekly