The first commercial passenger flight from Siem Reap, a major tourist hub of Cambodia, to Danang, Vietnam's famous seaside city, was operated on Friday after more than two years of hiatus due to the pandemic.
Cambodia Angkor Air's flight K6 840 departed from Siem Reap at 3:35 p.m. and landed at Da Nang International Airport at 5:35 p.m. on the same day.
Siem Reap province, located in northwest Cambodia, is the closest city to the world famous temples of Angkor, while Danang is one of Vietnam's top travel destinations, known for Southeast Asia's most beautitul beaches.
"Efforts to restore tourism and resume direct flights between Cambodia and Vietnam are aimed at celebrating the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations," said Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director of Danang's Department of Tourism.
He added the direct route further affirms the strategic position of Danang for international tourist markets as the gateway to world heritage sites.
Danang is frequently referred to as the most livable in Vietnam, and it is located near several UNESCO world heritage sites, including Hoi An, Hue, and My Son Sanctuary.
Cambodia Angkor Air will use ATR72 aircraft on the route with flights every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in flexible code-sharing with Vietnam Airlines. The carrier is expected to raise the frequency to five flights per week from September.
Vietnamese private carrier VietJet Air in late June announced the launch of seven new international air routes linking the central city of Danang to Singapore, South Korea, and India.
From July, four to seven flights per week would connect Danang with Busan in South Korea, the five biggest and most populous cities in India - namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore - and Singapore.
Vietnam lifted health declaration requirements on April 27 and dropped its Covid-19 testing requirement for people entering the country on May 15.