Direct flights to Japan to start on September 1
Direct flights to Japan to start on September 1
Japan and Cambodia put into force an air service agreement yesterday, which would officially allow for direct flights and cargo services between the two countries.
The agreement contained details of custom exemptions, procedures for deciding tariffs and aviation security measures.
“This agreement will enable stable operation of scheduled flights between Japan and Cambodia as the number of people traveling between the two countries has increased in recent years,” said Japanese ambassador Yuri Kumamaru.
The new direct commercial flight, operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA), is scheduled to begin service on September 1 between Tokyo and Phnom Penh, according to Chum Sounry, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“This agreement will further strengthen and broaden the existing good relationship between the tourists sector and the economies of both countries,” he said.
Ho Vandy, advisor to the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, said that the direct flight will not only help facilitate the flow of Japanese and Cambodian travellers but also foreign tourists looking to connect directly.
As Japanese tourists were the number one most frequent visitors to the Kingdom from 2003 to 2005, he said that the new flight can help gain a higher status.
“If we have good diplomatic, business and political ties, we believe that [Japanese tourists] might increase,” he said.
He added that with 200,000 Japanese tourists visiting Cambodia in 2015, they were ranked the sixth most frequent visitor to the Kingdom, behind South Korea and Vietnam which continually takes the top spot.
ANA is Japan’s largest airline in terms of revenue and the amount of passengers. ANA operates 116 domestic routes and 83 international routes.
