Vietnam Airlines has launched a new route linking the three capitals of the former French colony of Indochina and pitching them as a package destination.
The thrice-weekly flight services from Hanoi to Phnom Penh, with a stopover in Vientiane, began last Sunday, marking the first route connecting the three cities, officials of the airline and Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation said Thursday.
“We expect the Indochina route would attract tourists from Europe and Asia—like France, South Korea and Japan—because it allows them travel to three destinations at one time,” said Nguyen Quan, Vietnam Airlines’ general manager in Cambodia.
A new aircraft—a Fokker 70 with 78 seats—carries passengers from Phnom Penh to Hanoi on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Airfare is $190 one way to Hanoi and $150 to Vientiane. There currently are no round-trip discounts.
Vietnam’s national carrier, which now flies to 23 international destinations, has been operating daily flight services from both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City. With the new addition, travelers can visit all three capitals, plus Ho Chi Minh City, on one carrier.
Civil aviation officials here said the development of the Indochina route is beneficial for Cambodia, which has been promoting tourism as a key to economic growth. Tourism officials are especially banking on the temples of Angkor to draw visitors.
Civil aviation officials said more airlines mean more options for traveling in and out of Cambodia.
The latest addition in the industry is Siem Reap Airways, a new domestic airline entering the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh flight market. The subsidiary of Bangkok Airways will have its inaugural flight today, and will have daily service to the two locations.
