Air China, the country’s national flag carrier, has announced that the launch of a direct flight between Phnom Penh and Beijing will be delayed to early next year, after having previously scheduled it for November.
The airline cited “market reasons” for its decision to delay the route, according to officials at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) of Cambodia.
“They told us they are not ready to operate the flight by November and said it will be delayed until early next year,” the Khmer Times on Monday quoted SSCA spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha as saying.
Air China announced in August plans to have the maiden flight for its Beijing-Phnom Penh route in November.
At the time, the company said it will use Airbus A320 aircraft for the route, flying three times a week.
Despite a considerable number of airlines connecting the country with various cities across China, there is no direct air link between the countries’ capitals yet.
Last year, Air China suspended its Beijing-Siem Reap route, which had been in operation for nearly a year, saying that demand for the flight was weak.
Cambodia welcomed 5.6 million foreign tourists last year, an increase of 11.8%. That same year, China ranked number one in terms of tourists by nationality, with 1.2 million Chinese nationals visiting the country, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.