Cambodia Angkor Air-operated flight K6 840 departed from Cambodia’s Siem Reap at 3:35 pm on Friday and landed at Da Nang International Airport at 5:35pm on the same day.

This is the first commercial passenger flight to be re-operated on the Siem Reap - Da Nang route after more than 2 years of hiatus due to COVID-19.

On the freshly-resumed route, Cambodia Angkor Air will operate three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in a bid to stimulate travel and tourism demand between Viet Nam and Cambodia, as well as the demand of international visitors to Siem Reap and Da Nang. The airline will increase the frequency to five flights per week from September.

Before COVID-19 occurs, Siem Reap attracted millions of international visitors each year thanks to Angkor Wat - one of the wonders of the world. Meanwhile, Da Nang, the largest economic and cultural hub in Central Viet Nam, is becoming a transit point for major international tourist markets such as South Korea and Japan.

According to Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh, efforts to restore tourism and resume direct flights between Cambodia and Viet Nam aim to celebrate the 55^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

He said the direct route from Da Nang to Siem Reap further affirms Da Nang’s strategic position for international tourist markets as the gateway to world heritage sites. It is expected to contribute to boosting travel demand between Viet Nam and Cambodia, as well as facilitating the exchange of international visitors between Siem Reap and Da Nang.

“With about two-hour flights between Da Nang and Siem Reap, international tourists can enjoy the world wonder of Angkor Wat as well as the world cultural heritages sites in Central Viet Nam” added Mr. Binh.

Mr. Luu Minh Chung, General Director of Cambodia Angkor Air, said that Cambodia Angkor Air is the national airline and is also the first and only one in Cambodia to meet the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) standard. The IOSA certification is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

He highlighted the significance of the resumption of the Siem Reap - Da Nang route in acting as a a cultural, economic and tourism bridge between the Da Nang and Cambodia.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG