Report, images by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
Cambodia Airways isn't sure about its flight history and A320 aircraft details
Images : Researcher's Pictures
On 2 December 2022, Cambodia Airways, Cambodia's youngest private airline, successfully launches its first scheduled flight to Singapore from Phnom Penh under flight KR751.
Flight KR751 landed in Changi Terminal 1 at 10.54 am after departing from Phnom Penh at 7.54 am. It arrived at Gate D44.
Image : Researcher's Picture
On flight KR751, Cambodia Airways' Facebook release shows that the airline is not sure about the aircraft details of its A320 aircraft.
Extracts of Cambodia Airways' Facebook release are highlighted below:
"As the holiday season draws closer, Cambodia Airways has started regular services connecting Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) to Changji International Airport (SIN), this new flight route is believed to provide more options Much to Cambodian people and foreigners for the travel experience.
Normal services will resume between Phnom Penh International Airport and Changji Airport on 2 December 2022 at 07:45 am, departing from Phnom Penha and smooth landing in Singapore at 10:30 am local time. The first scheduled flight of Flight KR751, 16 seats out of 180 have been filled. Each passenger is provided with 20kg for Check-in and 7kg for carry-on luggage, in addition, hot meals are served free of charge during the flight."
"The First scheduled flight on the route, KR751, 148 seats out of 180 seats were filled."
"The Airbus A320s seat a total of 164 passengers, from January 2023 the route will be operated in a two-class configuration – 8 in business class and 156 in economy class."
Cambodia Airways is confused by its Phnom Penh-Singapore route
Firstly, it appears that Cambodia Airways is confused whether its Phnom Penh-Singapore flight is a new route or a resumption route. It mentioned, "Normal services will resume between Phnom Penh International Airport ad Changji Airport on 2 December 2022."
When did Cambodia Airways launch its first flight to Singapore from Phnom Penh? It is 2 December 2022 and no other date.
Cambodian airlines briefly operated flights to Singapore before the epidemic
Before the covid epidemic broke out in Wuhan by November 2019, the outbreak began as early as August 2019 silenced to the world by the Hubei authorities, Cambodia Airways did not begin any international flight to CCP China and Singapore. The private airlines of Cambodia that did so briefly to Changi Airport Terminal 4 in 2018 and 2019 are JC International Airlines and Lanmei Airlines. Back in 2004, Royal Khmer Airlines the short-lived Cambodian airline operated scheduled flights to Changi Terminal 1 and these airlines have no relationships with Cambodia Airways.
Cambodia Airways did not fly to Singapore before 2 December 2022
Cambodia Airways is formed on 10 July 2018 by its parent company Prince and begins domestic flights in December 2018. By August 2019, it has started international flights to Macau and Suvarnabhumi. Flights to Fuzhou and Chengdu are launched in 2020 and 2021, and there were no Cambodian flights to Singapore before 2 December 2022.
Cambodia Airways confuses readers about the number of seats on its A320
Secondly, Cambodia Airways confuses the readers with the actual number of passengers onboard KR751. Are 16 seats or 148 seats filled?
Thirdly, how many seats are there altogether onboard KR751, the aircraft registered XU-762? Is it 180 or 164 seats? Cambodia Airways mentioned at the end of the post that the aircraft has 164 seats ("8 in business class and 156 in economy class").
Cambodia Airways carries 148 passengers on KR751's first flight
The reporter believes that KR751 on its first day has carried 148 passengers since Cambodia Airways is more popular with the masses than Cambodia Angkor Air, the national flag carrier of Cambodia.
The A320 of Cambodia Airways has sharklets
The A320 used for flight KR751 is A320-214, a three-year-old A320ceo. Its wingspan is 35.80 m long with the sharklets. It cannot be 180 seats since the aircraft is not the A320neo, whose wingspan is 35.80 m long without the sharklets.
Cambodia Airways has three A320ceo aircraft and two A319 aircraft, not the A320neo. Only the A320neo can carry up to 180 passengers in the two-class capacity.
The A320-214 (A320ceo) has two-class capacity accommodating 140 to 170 passengers. Its maximum passengers is 190 passengers but Cambodia Airways has arranged 164 seats including 8 Business Class and 156 Economy Class seats.
Therefore, Cambodia Airways flies to Singapore from Phnom Penh with the A320 aircraft with sharklets, the A320-214.
Differences among the A320ceo variants
Readers can see the difference between the A320-214 and the traditional A320-200 aircraft as seen in the pictures below. There is even the A320-232 model operated by Cambodia Angkor Air and that is an older model.
Image of A320-214 in the case of Cambodia Airways: Researcher's Picture
Image of A320-200 in the case of Jetstar Asia : Researcher's Picture
Image of A320-232 in the case of Cambodia Angkor Air : Researcher's Picture
To celebrate the launch of the inaugural flight from Phnom Penh to Singapore, Cambodia Airways ran Singapore route roadshows at Aeon Mall, Phnom Penh, from 19 to 20 November 2022, and exhibited at NATAS Travel Holidays 2022 at Singapore Expo from 12 to 14 August 2022. It ran air ticket contests in Phnom Penh on Facebook between August and November 2022.
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