Air Cambodia agree to purchase of 20 Chinese commercial aircraft
A Chinese-designed and built C909 aircraft manufactured by COMAC. Supplied
Air Cambodia, the national carrier, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese company Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) regarding the planned purchase of 20 China-made C909 regional aircraft, as part of broader cooperation in the aviation sector between the two countries.
On September 10, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin announced via social media that Air Cambodia signed the MoU on Sep 8. According to the agreement, they have confirmed the purchase of which 10 C909s, with 10 letter-of-intent orders.
“The two parties intend to cooperate in areas including aircraft acquisition, operational support and industrial cultivation. The new step in aviation cooperation between China and Cambodia is significant for both countries,” he said.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, spokesperson for Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), told The Post on September 11 that, as the regulatory authority, he has not yet received official information about the MoU, noting that this is a matter for Air Cambodia as a company.
However, he acknowledged that the airline’s move to purchase additional aircraft reflects its confidence in the future growth of Cambodia’s civil aviation sector. He also mentioned that new commercial aircraft typically require a minimum of three years for delivery.
The C909 has also seen steadily growing use in Southeast Asia. Starting on April 18, 2023, the type began operations in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.
To date, three overseas airlines – Indonesia Air, Lao Airlines and VietJet Air – operate seven C909 aircraft in Southeast Asia, serving 15 routes and 18 cities. They have carried over 370,000 passengers, according to Xinhua.
In July, Sun Chanthol, chairman of the Cambodia-US Trade and Investment Coordination Working Group, announced that during tariff negotiations with the US, the Cambodian government discussed the purchase of 10 Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft, with the potential for 10 more in the future. These aircraft are also intended to serve with Air Cambodia.
Air Cambodia (K6), the national carrier, is jointly owned by the Cambodian government (30%), Chinese company Xing Gang Investment Group (28%), Seven Trip International (28%) and Vietnam Airlines (14%).
The C909 is China’s first new medium- and short-range turbofan regional airliner that was independently developed in accordance with international civil aviation regulations and with independent intellectual property rights. It seats 78-97 people and has a range of 2,225-3,700 kilometres.
It received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China on December 30, 2014, and its production license on July 9, 2017.
-The Phnom Penh Post-
