AKP Phnom Penh, June 09, 2026 --

Air Cambodia, Cambodia’s national flag carrier, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co., Ltd., a core subsidiary of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd. (Hainan Holdings), mapping out a phased expansion plan for passenger air routes linking Cambodia and Hainan, while rolling out cross-border flights under the Fifth and Seventh Freedoms of the Air to deepen bilateral civil aviation and cultural-tourism cooperation between China and Cambodia.

Mr. Zhan David, Vice Chairman and CEO of Air Cambodia, and Mr. Li Guohong, President of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd., attended the signing ceremony held in Phnom Penh on June 8.

H.E. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, Secretary of State and Spokesperson, attended and witnessed the signing ceremony of the MoU, and delivered a speech.

H.E. Sinn Chanserey Vutha said that the Air Cambodia–Hainan Airport MoU should be viewed primarily as a strategic connectivity initiative rather than simply a route expansion agreement.

Its greatest value lies in its potential to strengthen Cambodia–China aviation cooperation, support tourism and economic growth, enhance utilisation of Cambodia’s new airport infrastructure, and advance Cambodia’s long-term ambition to become an increasingly connected and competitive aviation gateway in ASEAN, he said.

At the same time, all future route development, traffic rights utilisation, and fleet deployment remain subject to regulatory approvals, operational readiness, and commercial viability, he added.

As a large state-owned airport operator under Hainan Development Holdings, Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co., Ltd. manages 11 airports across Hainan Province, including Haikou Meilan International Airport, Sanya Phoenix International Airport and Qionghai Bo’ao Airport, striving to build a regional aviation hub connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

As Cambodia’s national flag carrier, Air Cambodia has obtained operational approval to exercise the Seventh Freedom of the Air for flights to and from Hainan. Coupled with the upcoming visa-free entry policy for Chinese nationals to Cambodia, robust growth is expected in two-way outbound and inbound tourist travel demand.

To underpin expanded fleet capacity, Air Cambodia will introduce in batches 20 COMAC C909 aircraft and 20 Boeing 737 MAX new-generation aircraft starting from this year, furnishing solid aircraft support for newly-launched air routes.

The two parties agree to establish a regular communication mechanism to exchange updates on civil aviation policies, cross-border entry-exit regulations, and tourism resources in both regions, to continuously optimise ground service arrangements and enhance the overall passenger travel experience.

This MoU signing between Air Cambodia and Hainan Airport marks prompt concrete follow-up by leading enterprises of both sides on the consensus reached in the ministerial meeting.

By Chea Vannak