Cambodian, Vietnamese airline begins operations

Nhan Dan
http://www.nhandan.com.vn

July 28, 2009

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong and the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen cut the ribbon launching the new Cambodian national airline, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), a joint venture between Vietnam and Cambodia, at Pochentong international airport in Phnom Penh on July 27.

CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian National Aviation Agency and the Vietnam Airlines Corporation.

At present, CAA has two ATR-72-500 aircrafts that service domestic flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Siem Reap.

It plans to expand its operations to other regional countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, with A-320 and A-321 aircraft.

Before, Cambodia’s national airline called “Royal Cambodge Airlines” (RCA) was established in 1994, but had to close in 2001 due to making huge losses and using planes that did not meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards (ICAO). (VNA)