Aircraft parked airside on the tarmac of Phnom Penh International Airport. Hin Pisei
More than six million passengers, both domestic and international, passed through Cambodia's three international airports in 2024, an increase of more than 20% over the previous year. Almost 60,000 flights – operated by 31 local and international airlines – arrived or departed during the same period.
According to a progress report from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), the Kingdom’s three international airports – in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – saw a significant rise in traffic in 2024.
A total of 58,354 flights were recorded, rising 14% from 2023, with 6,241,842 passengers passing through, a 22% increase. The report did not provide a breakdown of their nationalities.
Air cargo shipments totalled 77,752 tonnes, an increase of 40%.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, SSCA spokesperson, told The Post on January 24 that after a sharp pandemic-driven decline in 2020-2021, Cambodia's air transport sector began to gradually recover in early 2022, with annual growth averaging more than 10%.
Forecasts predict that the number of flights through Cambodia's three international airports in 2025 will exceed those of 2024. Currently, four domestic and 27 international airlines operate at these airports.
“This forecast is based on the trends observed over the past few years, especially the recovery of passenger travel after the Covid-19 crisis and the global revival of the tourism sector. The government is also working hard to improve infrastructure and strengthen promotional efforts to highlight Cambodia's tourism potential to global markets,” said Chanserey Vutha.
“We expect continued growth in the aviation sector, as there are ongoing requests for new destinations and proposals to increase the frequency of flights,” he added.
He also noted the remarkable strides being taken by the airlines currently operating in the Kingdom. Recently, local airline Air Cambodia launched a new route between Phnom Penh and Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, with three flights per week.
He confirmed that, in February, Cambodia will welcome another new flight route from Indian airline IndiGo, which will fly between Kolkata and Siem Reap. The new route is expected to bring more Indian tourists and international visitors to the Kingdom.
Chanserey Vutha also expressed his belief that the July opening of the new Techo International Airport (TIA) in Phnom Penh will further ease air travel.
The Cambodia-India Year of Tourism was launched in 2024 to promote travel between the two countries. Since June 2024, Air Cambodia has operated direct flights between Phnom Penh and New Delhi.
Khieu Thy, president of the Khmer Angkor Tour Guide Association, noted that although the number of flights and passengers arriving in Cambodia through Siem Reap International Airport has not yet reached pre-2020 levels, there are clear signs of the tourism sector's recovery.
He suggested that increased promotions will attract more investors and international tourist.
“Connecting flights from major cities outside Cambodia will definitely encourage more international tourists to visit. Most passengers arriving in Siem Reap by air are tourists,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia welcomed 6.7 million foreign guests in 2024, a 22.9% increase compared to 2023 and a 1.4% increase over 2019. The largest groups of foreign arrivals were citizens from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Laos and the US.
