Chinese Moot Airline School

KHMER TIMES
SOK CHAN



Chinese budget carrier Spring Airlines is in discussions with the government to open an airline pilot training school in Cambodia, as well as expand its flights to the Kingdom, and even start a tour company, according to an official from the national aviation authority.

The news comes after talks between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Spring Airlines’ president Wang Zhenghua in Nanning, China, on Sunday, on the sidelines of the 13th Asean-China Expo which the premier attended, Sinn Chanserey Vutha, spokesperson for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) told Khmer Times.

“I think Spring Airlines could achieve what they had talked with us about [pilot school] since they met with Prime Minister Hun Sen last week and stated their clear goals, so I think we can trust them and will support them.”

“This was just a proposal, but in reality we don’t know what will happen as many companies have said they want to open a pilot training school in Cambodia, and yet later on all of them were silent,” Mr. Vutha said, explaining his initial caution of the announcement.

Mr. Vutha said that during the talks, Mr. Wang had expressed his desire to boost the training of domestic pilots by building a school, as well as develop a tourism company to capitalize on Chinese tourism to Cambodia.

Spring Airlines presently operates charter flights to Siem Reap, but is looking to begin daily services to Shanghai and Guangxi from Siem Reap, he explained.

“We lack pilots in Cambodia and currently pilots are trained by specific airlines, not the SSCA,” he said, adding that a domestic school would improve quality and lower costs for training pilots.

Ho Vandy, secretary-general of Cambodia’s National Tourism Alliance, and president of world Express Tour and Travel, said that news of increased flights from China would be a great boost to tourism in Cambodia.

“We want more flights from China to draw more Chinese tourists to Cambodia.”According to the SSCA, there are about 60 flights between Cambodia and China each week.

Thourn Sinan, the chairman of the Cambodia Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association agreed that more flights would be beneficial to tourism, and might help to lower ticket prices. He said news of the proposed Chinese-run tour company however, would have a negative effect on local tour providers.

“If they aim to operate a tour company or as tour agents in Cambodia, it would not be good news for local tour operators since there are already a lot of tour companies and agents in Cambodia.”