Emirates has announced plans to launch a new daily service between Dubai and Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, via Bangkok, starting on June 1.

The service will provide passengers travelling between the capital cities of Cambodia and Thailand with more flight options. Travellers from both Southeast Asian nations will also enjoy access to Emirates’ global network, with enhanced connectivity to over 150 destinations in 86 countries and territories.

The new service will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft. Flights to Phnom Penh will depart daily from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 0845hrs local time, as EK370, and arrive in Bangkok at 1815hrs. The same flight will then depart Bangkok at 2000hrs, before arriving at Phnom Penh International Airport at 2125hrs. On the return segment, flight EK371 will depart Phnom Penh at 2320hrs, and will arrive in Bangkok at 0040hrs, the following day. It will then set off to Dubai‎ at 0225hrs, arriving at 0535hrs. All times are local.

Emirates has been serving Cambodia with its flights to Phnom Penh since July 2017, carrying over 100,000 passengers on the route to date. As Cambodia’s largest and most rapidly developing city, Phnom Penh contributes significantly to the country’s economic growth and continues to witness a significant increase in foreign tourist arrivals. Trade links between the UAE, Cambodia and Thailand will also be supported with daily Emirates cargo services on the same route.

“We are pleased to enhance our services to these popular Southeast Asian destinations and offer more choices for travellers in Cambodia and Thailand. Passengers will not only be linked directly through our daily service, but will also have access to a host of domestic and regional routes from the two countries via Emirates’ codeshare partners Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Asia,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' divisional senior vice president, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation and Aeropolitical Affairs.

“Emirates has been proudly connecting the UAE to Cambodia since 2017, and we look forward to building on the success of this route with our new link through Bangkok. The service will provide travellers from Cambodia with easy access to Dubai and Emirates’ vast global network of destinations, while also offering more choice and flexibility for tourists and its citizens residing overseas to travel to Cambodia, including those from Thailand. We aim to serve the healthy passenger demand, as well as deliver economic benefits, by providing air links that support tourism and the transportation of cargo,” continued Kazim.

Emirates SkyCargo began its operations in Cambodia in April 2016 and has transported over 5,000 tonnes of cargo exports in the last two years. Cambodia’s major exports include garments, sportswear and shoes. Cambodian exports have seen double-digit growth year on year and Emirates is committed to supporting this growth in trade with its efficient air transport services and bespoke air cargo products.

Emirates, in cooperation with its regional codeshare partners Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Pacific, will offer customers enhanced connectivity and the ability to build travel itineraries that include other domestic destinations in Cambodia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The daily service between Dubai and Phnom Penh, via Bangkok, will also complement Emirates’ five direct daily services between Dubai and Bangkok. From Bangkok, travellers can also fly directly to Hong Kong on Emirates. In addition to the Thai capital, Emirates also operates 14 weekly flights between Phuket and Dubai in the winter (seven weekly flights during summer season). - TradeArabia News Service