Air France is studying the viability of opening commercial flights between Paris and Phnom Penh, an assistant to Prime Minister Hun Sen and a French Embassy official said yesterday.
Eang Sophalleth, an assistant to the premier, said the carrier’s interest in Cambodia was broached during a meeting yesterday morning between the premier and outgoing French Ambassador Jean-Francois Desmazieres at which they also discussed possible new investments from a French bank and sugar firm.
“Samdech [Hun Sen] welcomed the investors, especially he asked Air France to set direct flights to Phnom Penh since they used to have flights here before,” Mr Sophalleth said following their meeting at the Council of Ministers. “Concerning the others, Samdech [Hun Sen] welcomed and encouraged those companies also to come and invest in Cambodia.”
Dominique Mas, first counselor at the French Embassy, confirmed that Air France was considering creating a Paris-Phnom Penh route.
“There is discussion between…Air France and the local authorities whether it is possible to establish direct flights from Paris to Phnom Penh” as part of the firm’s reassessment of its Asian routes, he said.
“We of course support the idea…but it will be up to the private firm to decide,” he said.
Mr Mas said he had no other details about Air France’s interest in Cambodia, however, and referred further questions to the firm’s Bangkok office, which could not be reached.
Officials at the State Secretariat for Civil Aviation either could not be reached yesterday or said they were not aware of the possible new route.
Mr Mas also confirmed that the premier and ambassador discussed potential investments from a French bank and sugar firm, but declined to name either company because discussions with the government were still preliminary.
The European Union has recently come under fire from local human rights groups over its Anything But Arms free trade deal, which allows duty-free access for most Cambodian exports to France and other EU countries. The rights groups blame the trade deal for subsidizing large sugarcane operations accused of stealing land from local farmers.
Mr Mas said the allegations were a matter for local NGOS to take up with the government and the EU, but urged critics not to label the entire industry as troubled.
“Each company invests in different ways…and it is important not to put all the companies in one basket,” he said.
He said Mr Desmazieres would serve his last day as ambassador to Cambodia on Friday.
