Qatar Airways ready to launch daily flights to Cambodia's capital

The Doha-based Qatar Airways will operate its daily flights from Doha to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, from Tuesday, Cambodia's tourism minister Thong Khon said Monday.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday), the airline will launch daily flights from Doha to Phnom Penh via Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam," he told reporters on the sidelines of a tourism conference. "It will become the only Middle Eastern carrier to operate into Cambodia."

The minister said that with the presence of Qatar Airways, he believed that there would be more tourists from Arab countries to Cambodia.

"It is a huge airline. Its presence here truly reflects Cambodia's full security and political stability and potential for business opportunities," he said.

According to a report of Cambodia Airports, the developer and operator of the country's international airports, Qatar Airways will operate flights with an A330-300 plane, which can be seated by 305 passengers.

Ang Kim Eang, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said the presence of Qatar Airways in Cambodia will benefit not only tourism industry, but also trade and investment between Cambodia and countries in the Middle East.

"When there is direct flight between the two countries, it will bring tourists, investors and businesspeople from Qatar and other Arab countries to Cambodia," he told Xinhua over telephone on Monday.

According to the latest report of tourism ministry, last year, Cambodia received only 10,000 tourists from more than 10 countries in the Middle East.