ANA starts nonstop flight to Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH All Nippon Airways (ANA) will launch daily flights between Tokyo (Narita) and Phnom Penh effective 1 September.

The airline said the new service would be the only direct flight between Japan and Cambodia. However, according to the bilateral air agreement Cambodian registered airlines have the right to serve the route.

With this new service, Cambodia becomes the eighth country served by ANA in ASEAN. Cambodia also signed off on the ASEAN Open Skies agreement, recently an important piece of legislation to encourage the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Lao PDR declined to sign off on the accord claiming there were national considerations, that observers said boiled down to protectionism.

Cambodia is likely to benefit the most from its liberal aviation policies along with Vietnam, which is also keen to turn its two airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City into regional gateways.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of a friendship treaty between Japan and Cambodia.

Direct flights between the two countries has been under discussion for two years and included high level meetings between the heads of state of the two nations.

 Flight schedule Tokyo (Narita) – Phnom Penh

*Start 1 September 2016

Currently, ANA flies on 81 international routes and 112 domestic routes.