Synopsis: The Thursday service supports the Kingdom’s goals to become an ASEAN aviation hub and boost ties with China.

National flag carrier Air Cambodia is expanding its direct service between Phnom Penh and Nanning, China, to three weekly flights.

According to a company announcement, the airline will add a Thursday round-trip flight to its existing Tuesday and Saturday schedules, driven by rising momentum in bilateral tourism and economic exchanges.

The additional Phnom Penh-Nanning direct flight route is intended to facilitate increased travel between the two cities as Cambodian institutions ramp up their partnership with China’s southern, ASEAN-bordering region.

Air Cambodia is marketing Nanning not just as a destination, but as “an experience waiting to unfold,” touting stunning landscapes, cultural heritage, and local cuisine.

“The additional flight offers greater convenience for business travel, leisure trips and visits to family and friends. Air Cambodia will continue to optimise its flight schedule to better serve passengers and support travel and exchanges between Cambodia and China,” according to a statement from Air Cambodia.

The travel period for the increase in weekly flights is set to last through March 27, 2027.

The announcement comes as passenger traffic in Cambodia has stalled, down 11% year-on-year, with the aviation industry handling 4.56 million air passengers in the first nine months of 2026, according to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).

The government has sought to promote air connectivity via Cambodia’s Techo International Airport (KTI) as a key pillar of tourism and economic growth.

Air Cambodia announced this month that it will expand its network of routes to China to 13 routes for the winter-to-spring season, increasing flight frequencies from Phnom Penh to Nanning and other Chinese cities.

According to Xinhua, the Nanning Wuxu International Airport plans to operate 101 passenger routes during the winter–spring season, connecting the airport with 82 domestic and international cities. Phnom Penh is among the international destinations in Nanning’s planned network.

Furthermore, Air Cambodia prepares to introduce 20 COMAC C909 aircraft and 20 Boeing 737 MAX new-generation aircraft this year to expand aircraft resources commensurate with the new routes.

The new Thursday service comes as Cambodia seeks to bolster its reputation as a competitive aviation gateway in ASEAN, and strengthen aviation cooperation with China by fostering tourism and economic exchange.

Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is the permanent venue for the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), held this year in September, which was attended by Commerce Minister Cham Nimul, government officials, and Cambodian exhibitors seeking wider markets for locally-made products.

Cambodia-Nanning ties continue to expand across multiple sectors, driven by student internships at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, the 2005-established China-Cambodia Rubber Production Base, and a Ministry of Interior partnership with NVTU for digital and technical training.

Related Posts

• October 29, 2025

• December 1, 2025

• July 19, 2026

• January 14, 2026