Emirates Inaugural Flight to Phnom Penh via Singapore on 1 May 2024

While the rest of the world celebrated Labour Day on 1 May 2024, Emirates celebrated the relaunch of daily Phnom Penh service via Singapore Changi Airport. Emirates first flew to Phnom Penh in 2017 via Yangon, Myanmar. It was later rerouted through Bangkok in Thailand, and flights to Phnom Penh were suspended in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.

This new service to Phnom Penh adds a fourth daily flight from Singapore and expands the Emirates’ Far East network to 21 points. The airline also relaunched its daily Singapore – Melbourne route in January 2023.

Flight EK348 took off from Dubai at 2:04 am on May 1, 2024, and touched down in Singapore at 12:44 pm, arriving earlier than its scheduled time of 1:05 pm. It was set to continue on to Phnom Penh with a departure at 3:35 pm. The Boeing 777-300ER with aircraft registration number A6-ENE, was pulling into Gate C1 just outside the Emirates Lounge for the launch event.

The ceremonial event at the Emirates Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 1, graced by esteemed guests including His Excellency Jamal Abdulla AlSuwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Singapore; Mr. Vy. Samdy, First Secretary, Cambodian Embassy; Mr. Steven Ler, President, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore; Mr. Damon Wong, Senior Vice President, Airport Operations Planning, Changi Airport Group; Mr. Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Passenger Sales and Country Management; Mr. Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Far East; and Rashed Alfajeer, Emirates’ Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei. 

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offers 8 private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 304 seats in Economy Class. Emirates‘ business class cabin on board its B777-300ERs feature a 2-3-2 seat configuration.

For those who are curious, there is a change of crew in Singapore, where the crew spends a night on the return route. The crew does not stay over in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh’s connection with Singapore is ideally timed, offering excellent links from major European and American cities like Paris, Lyon, Nice, London Heathrow, Boston, and New York.

Emirates SkyCargo provides more than 300 tonnes of weekly cargo belly-hold capacity to key markets such as the UAE, USA, Canada, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom on its Boeing 777-300ER flights to and from Phnom Penh. Key anticipated exports from Phnom Penh include apparel, readymade garments and fashion, as well as fresh fruit, chilled meat and other perishables. Over the last two years, Emirates SkyCargo has handled 2,420 tonnes of cargo to and from Phnom Penh via a road feeder service and interline partnerships, providing connectivity via Thailand and Malaysia to the airline’s vast global network.

Flight EK348 arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport at 4.33 pm on 1 May 2024 and was welcomed with a traditional Cambodian dance performance. The senior Emirates delegation, accompanied by international media, was received by His Excellency Dr Mao Havannall, Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, and Cyril Girot, Chief Executive Officer, Cambodia Airports.

“Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage and growing economy make it an attractive destination for leisure and business travel. We’re excited for this unique gateway to once again join our already extensive Far East network. Through the linked services between Singapore and Phnom Penh, we’re also able to support the trade and business movements between the two regional hubs and facilitate the convenient shipment of imports and exports between Singapore, Cambodia and the UAE, as well as other markets in our global network. We thank the local authorities in Cambodia for their support in facilitating the return of our operations to Phnom Penh, and look forward to offering a world-class travel experience for customers, and driving more visitors into both Singapore and Cambodia.”

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Passenger Sales and Country Management

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Adrian Eugene Seet, editor of SUPERADRIANME.com, has long shared his passion for travel, destinations, and air travel. His childhood love for exploration has evolved into a thriving career, with his engaging content inspiring others to discover new cultures. Taiwan is his new-found favourite destination, and he dreams of visiting the Andes. Adrian's work is driven by his curiosity for travel trends and a commitment to lifelong learning.

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