PHNOM PENH, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Airlines will operate its first-ever direct flights from Istanbul to Cambodia next month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday.
"A new direct flight by Turkish Airlines, connecting Istanbul of the Republic of Türkiye and Techo International Airport of the Kingdom of Cambodia, will be launched on Dec, 11 2025," he said on social media.
He said that this new achievement resulted from close cooperation between the governments of both countries.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, secretary of state and spokesperson for Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said the direct flights will provide easy connectivity between Cambodia and Europe via Istanbul, which is a convenient gateway to European countries.
"We're confident that the direct flights will help bring more international passengers and tourists from Türkiye and Europe to Cambodia," he told reporters.
According to the SSCA, a total of 32 domestic and international airlines operated 47,637 flights, with 5.1 million international passengers, to Cambodia's three international airports during the January-September period of 2025. ■