Aeroflot Sets Course for Cambodia

Aeroflot Russian Airlines is set to launch flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Phnom Penh to support the growing number of Russian visitors to Cambodia. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was agreed during a Cambodian trade visit to the Russian capital and details of the planned flight are now being finalised. Aeroflot previously served this route in the 1980s and early 1990s with two flights per week.

Although certainly not as popular as Egypt with Russian tourists, a growing number are now seeking alternative destinations and Cambodia has witnessed a rapid growth over the past few years. According to Ministry of Tourism statistics 19,395 Russians visited Cambodia in 2009, while last year this almost doubled to 34,170. With the introduction of a new direct service, tourism officials expect this to grow to more than 100,000 passengers per year and potentially increase beyond 250,000 by 2015. The majority of passengers between Moscow and Phnom Penh currently make use of special charter flights with only a limited scheduled demand being reported.