Airline to Take On New Routes

Kampuchea Airlines is to take over the operations of Indonesian carrier Merpati in August, a Thai travel industry publication reported.

The weekly Travel Trade Re­port stated that Udom Tanti­prasongchai, managing director of Kampuchea Airlines’ parent company Orient Thai, agreed in May to take over the airline’s routes after it suspended operations in May.

A public relations manager for Kampuchea Airlines, Rawiwan Thaisuriyo, was quoted as saying that Udom’s company would lease several more aircraft to fly the routes. The company currently has only two Lockheed Tri-star L-1011s that it uses on its Bang­kok-Phnom Penh and Phnom Penh-Hong Kong routes.

It was unclear what company name the flights will operate under. The report stated the airline will use the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Denpasar as a base and will serve Kuala Lumpur and cities in India and the Middle East.

Kampuchea Airlines’ deputy managing director in Phnom Penh, Francis Anthony, said he was unaware of the deal.

Orient Thai stopped its Thai domestic service earlier this year, citing financial problems. Kam­puchea Airlines was privatized in April, bringing to an end the company’s joint venture with the Cambodian government less than a year after the carrier’s start-up.

Related Stories

Latest News