Cambodia’s aviation sector is entering a new phase of expansion, with China emerging as the single most important engine of growth and connectivity for the kingdom. While regional markets such as Japan, Turkey, India and South Korea remain significant, Chinese airlines, passengers and investment are now driving record flight frequencies, new long-haul links and fresh infrastructure that is reshaping Cambodia’s position on the regional air map.
China Becomes Cambodia’s Primary Growth Market in the Skies
According to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Cambodia’s airports handled nearly seven million air passengers in 2025, a 12 percent increase on the previous year. Flight movements rose in tandem, with almost 65,000 inbound and outbound operations recorded and air cargo volumes climbing even faster. Behind these headline figures, officials and industry analysts point to one country as the standout driver of recovery and expansion: China.
Tourism data for 2025 show that Chinese arrivals to Cambodia surpassed 1.2 million, more than 40 percent higher than in 2024, in a year when overall international arrivals actually fell. China has quickly reasserted itself as one of Cambodia’s top source markets for visitors, even as established regional feeders such as Thailand and Vietnam have seen more modest or declining numbers amid border tensions and changing travel patterns.
In aviation terms, this resurgence translates directly into fuller aircraft, added frequencies and new routes. Chinese carriers are restoring and expanding links to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, while Cambodian airlines are pivoting to focus on Chinese secondary cities that promise steady traffic. The combined impact is that China is now outpacing Japan, Turkey, India, South Korea and other important markets as the primary engine of growth in Cambodia’s air network.
For Cambodian policymakers, the trend is both a return to pre-pandemic realities and a glimpse of a more China-centered aviation future. Before 2020, Chinese travelers were already a cornerstone of Cambodia’s tourism economy. The current surge, supported by new airport capacity and targeted air service agreements, is pushing flight numbers beyond earlier peaks and reconfiguring how the country connects with the wider world.
New Routes and Frequencies Anchor Cambodia’s China-Focused Strategy
The clearest sign of China’s expanding role in Cambodia’s aviation growth is visible on the departure boards. Cambodia’s three main international airports are currently served by 36 airlines connecting to 46 cities across 17 countries. A large and growing share of these services link the kingdom to Chinese destinations, underlining how central the Chinese market has become to route planning.
Chinese carriers are rebuilding dense networks to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, while also resuming seasonal and charter links to the coastal city of Sihanoukville. Routes from major hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been joined by flights from emerging tourism and business centers in provinces like Fujian, Guangxi and Sichuan. This spread of departure points is widening access for both tourists and investors, and giving Cambodian airports a more resilient demand base.
Cambodian operators are similarly leaning into the China opportunity. Cambodia’s new flag carrier, Air Cambodia, is developing a hub strategy that relies heavily on Chinese traffic flows, using Phnom Penh’s new Techo International Airport as a bridge between China, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Airlines are experimenting with flight times and fare structures designed to attract Chinese leisure groups, independent travelers and business passengers alike, often coordinating with tour operators and online travel platforms in mainland China.
While Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey all maintain important links to Cambodia, they have not matched the pace or scale of Chinese growth in the last two years. Industry observers note that where some of these markets are adding cautious seasonal services or limited weekly flights, Chinese carriers are more aggressively restoring pre-pandemic capacity and launching new city pairs, helping to push Cambodia’s total flight traffic to record levels.
Techo International Airport Positions Phnom Penh as a Regional Hub
The opening of Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh is amplifying the effect of China-led growth in passenger numbers. Officially inaugurated in September 2025, the multi-billion-dollar facility replaced the capital’s aging airport for commercial operations and immediately raised Cambodia’s aviation profile. Designed to handle 13 million passengers per year in its initial phase, with ambitious plans to expand to 30 million by 2030 and 50 million by mid-century, the airport is built with large international flows in mind.
Techo International Airport’s first commercial arrival was a flight from China, a symbolic moment that underlined both the importance of Chinese travelers and the deep involvement of Chinese construction and investment partners in the project. The airport’s modern terminal complex, multiple runways and expanded apron capacity allow it to accommodate higher volumes of widebody aircraft and more simultaneous operations, a prerequisite for any attempt to position Phnom Penh as a transit hub in mainland Southeast Asia.
Crucially for Cambodia’s regional ambitions, the new airport is already hosting an average of more than 800 weekly flights, out of around 1,270 flights handled across the country’s main international gateways. Authorities expect that as more Chinese and regional carriers consolidate services into Techo International, the airport will develop stronger connectivity patterns, with China providing a substantial share of inbound and outbound flows.
Compared with legacy links from Japan, South Korea or India, which typically focus on point-to-point demand, Chinese routes are increasingly being designed to support onward travel. Passengers arriving from Chinese cities can connect onward to other ASEAN destinations, South Asia or the Middle East on partner airlines via Phnom Penh, elevating the capital’s strategic importance well beyond its national boundaries.
Siem Reap and Sihanoukville See Renewed Chinese Interest
While Phnom Penh’s new airport is the focal point of Cambodia’s aviation story, China’s growing presence is also reshaping traffic patterns at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and Sihanoukville International Airport. The new Siem Reap facility, which replaced the former town airport in 2023, was built to accommodate larger aircraft and higher passenger volumes, especially from long-haul and regional markets targeting Angkor’s famed temples.
After a cautious restart in 2023 and 2024, airline schedules into Siem Reap began to thicken in 2025, with Chinese and regional carriers adding services for the high season. While the United States, United Kingdom and France have recently topped ticket revenue tables for Angkor’s archaeological park, Chinese visitor numbers have remained substantial and are showing signs of renewed momentum, particularly as visa procedures ease and more flights are restored.
At Sihanoukville, which had been closely tied to Chinese investment and casino tourism before the pandemic, recovery has been more uneven. However, a gradual return of Chinese leisure and business travelers, combined with renewed interest in Cambodia’s coastal resorts, is supporting the reintroduction of point-to-point links from selected Chinese cities. Aviation officials say that as the broader tourism mix in Sihanoukville diversifies, Chinese traffic will likely continue to play a dominant role in sustaining viable international routes.
Taken together, the three main international airports illustrate how China is now integral to Cambodia’s tourism and aviation geography. Flights from China not only feed Phnom Penh’s emerging hub but also directly connect Chinese travelers to the country’s cultural and coastal destinations, reinforcing Cambodia’s appeal as a multi-stop itinerary within the region.
Visa Policies and Bilateral Ties Strengthen Air Connectivity
The surge in Chinese air traffic is not occurring in a vacuum. It is closely tied to broader diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries, including targeted policies designed to make travel easier and more attractive for Chinese visitors. Cambodian authorities have repeatedly highlighted China as a priority market in tourism development plans, backing that stance with visa facilitation measures and promotional campaigns.
In recent years, Cambodia has experimented with visa-free or simplified entry schemes for Chinese citizens during peak periods, signaling a willingness to realign border policies with aviation expansion. Officials and industry representatives argue that such measures, combined with sustained marketing in Chinese cities and on digital platforms, are essential to fill the growing capacity being added by airlines on China-Cambodia routes.
At the same time, China’s own aviation sector has been expanding at a rapid pace. Industry data show that Chinese domestic air travel reached record highs in 2024, with strong growth in passenger traffic and load factors. As airlines in China rebuild their international operations, nearby markets with open skies, modern infrastructure and clear demand, such as Cambodia, have been among the first to see capacity restored and expanded.
Beyond tourism, bilateral cooperation on large infrastructure projects further cements the aviation relationship. Chinese firms have been deeply involved in constructing Cambodia’s new airports and related transport corridors, while both governments promote the broader connectivity agenda as part of regional trade and investment strategies. These factors give Chinese airlines added confidence to commit long term to the Cambodian market, even when other carriers from Japan, India, South Korea or Turkey remain more cautious.
Competition and Diversification Amid a China-Led Boom
China’s outsized role in Cambodia’s aviation growth raises important questions about balance and resilience. While the surge in Chinese passengers and flights is driving record traffic, it also increases the kingdom’s exposure to shifts in Chinese outbound travel policies, economic conditions and geopolitical dynamics. Industry analysts and tourism stakeholders stress the importance of cultivating a diverse portfolio of markets, even as China currently leads the expansion.
Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey remain key sources of travelers and investment, and airlines from these countries continue to operate regular services to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. New routes such as Air Cambodia’s planned Narita to Phnom Penh service via Fuzhou in China, announced for late 2025, highlight how secondary markets can be integrated into a China-centered network strategy rather than sidelined by it.
European and North American visitors, who often stay longer and spend more per trip, also retain strategic importance. Airlines and tour operators serving these regions are watching how Cambodia’s new infrastructure and growing Chinese presence influence airport capacity, slot availability and connectivity options. Some foresee opportunities to build triangulated routes that combine long-haul services with Chinese feeder traffic via Phnom Penh, while others are cautious about potential congestion and competition for prime operating windows.
For Cambodian authorities, the challenge is to manage growth in a way that accommodates China’s dominant role without crowding out other partners. This involves fine-tuning incentive schemes for airlines, maintaining a level playing field on airport charges, and investing in marketing campaigns that target a broad range of source markets alongside the rapidly expanding Chinese segment.
Implications for Cambodia’s Economy and Regional Role
The aviation boom driven by China is already having tangible impacts on Cambodia’s economy. Increased air connectivity is facilitating higher volumes of leisure travel, business visits, investment missions and trade flows. Hotels, restaurants, transport providers and tour operators report stronger demand in key urban and resort locations, even as they navigate challenges such as staffing, infrastructure pressure and uneven recovery in some markets.
Improved links to China also support Cambodia’s broader industrial and logistics ambitions. With air cargo volumes rising by more than one fifth in 2025, exporters in sectors such as high-value agriculture, garments, light manufacturing and electronics are gaining faster access to Chinese and global markets. New routes and higher frequencies give shippers more options for time-sensitive goods, while the development of modern airport cargo facilities underpins longer term growth in the sector.
Regionally, Cambodia’s expanding aviation network is strengthening its position in mainland Southeast Asia’s transport grid. As Techo International and Siem Reap Angkor International mature, they are poised to function not only as gateways for tourists but also as secondary hubs that complement major regional airports. In this emerging map, China’s role as the principal driver of growth gives Cambodia unique leverage in shaping travel and trade flows between Northeast Asia, ASEAN and beyond.
Yet the opportunities come with responsibilities. Environmental concerns, urban planning challenges around new airport zones and the need for sustainable tourism management in destinations such as Angkor and Sihanoukville are all drawing increased scrutiny. Policymakers and industry players acknowledge that the long-term payoff from China-led aviation growth will depend on how successfully Cambodia can channel surging traffic into balanced, sustainable development across its regions.