Phnom Penh greets inaugural Qatar Airways’ flight

Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight to Cambodia touched down in Phnom Penh recently to further extend the airline’s reach in Asia Pacific.
With the launch of daily scheduled services, Qatar Airways becomes the “only Middle Eastern airline” flying to the Southeast Asian nation — and destination number 125 served worldwide.
The inaugural flight arrived to a traditional water salute followed by a grand airport ceremony featuring colorful Cambodian dancers.
A number of local dignitaries, including Secretary of State of Cambodia Tekreth Samrach, Secretary of State of Civil Aviation Mao Havanall, and Under Secretary of State from the Ministry of Tourism Pak Sokhom.
Guests gathered at Phonm Penh International Airport in celebration of the new air link, connecting Cambodia with scores of destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and South America.
Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al-Baker was joined on the inaugural flight direct from the carrier’s Doha hub by Long Kem, ambassador of Cambodia to Kuwait and responsible for Qatar, together with international media.
Al-Baker said the latest route by the award-winning airline opened up a great new market for business and leisure travelers from around the world, while at the same time opening up air access from Cambodia to destinations worldwide.
“Though Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, it has an air travel market that is highly underserved. Qatar Airways is here to fill this void and we look forward to working with the travel trade and our business partners to make this a hugely successful operation.”