PHNOM PENH, June 16 -- Cambodia reported more than 2.5 million air travelers during the first five months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent, Mao Havannall, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said on Sunday.

Thirty-one international and domestic airlines have operated flights to the kingdom's three international airports, he said.

Havannall added that currently, Cambodia has direct flights with eight ASEAN member countries, as well as China, South Korea, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

"Overall, we can assume that the aviation industry in Cambodia has gradually recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic," he said in a speech during the launching ceremony of the first Phnom Penh-New Delhi direct flight held at the Phnom Penh International Airport.

Officials hope that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), which was put into official use in November 2023, will help attract more international airlines and travelers to Cambodia.

  - Xinhua