One airline is enough: report
Cambodia’s aviation sector doesn’t need a second domestic carrier, according to a new report from the Australia-based Centre for Aviation (CAPA). The report, published yesterday, is the latest instalment in a two-part analysis of the country’s aviation industry, and focuses on Cambodia Airlines, the Royal Group and Philippine Airlines (PAL) joint venture that, after several delays, has yet to materialise. While the first part of the analysis, released on Tuesday, commends the Kingdom’s aviation sector for being one of the fastest growing in Asia, inbound and outbound traffic, rather than domestic travel, drove the increase. Yesterday’s instalment cites Cambodia’s low average income level and unchanged domestic passenger figures as evidence that a new airline is not necessary. The country’s sole full-service national carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), has expanded international capacity by more than 70 per cent in the past year. But domestic passenger numbers in the industry have not varied greatly since 2007, when there were four now-defunct Cambodian carriers to choose from. … Cambodia Airlines was initially slated to launch mid-2013 with a $1 million investment from PAL, the first chunk of a $10 million overall commitment, according to a statement on the Philippine Stock Exchange in May of 2013. …
Eddie Morton
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/one-airline-enough-report
