Stronger air services between NZ and Cambodia

Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the signing of an open skies air services agreement with Cambodia will provide improved air links between our two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully signed the agreement for New Zealand on 19 August 2015 during his visit to Cambodia which is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“ASEAN is one of our most important regional partners. Good air links with other member countries help improve New Zealand’s connectivity with the region and boost visitor arrivals.

“A significant number of people from ASEAN countries live in New Zealand, including many international students, and they are also beneficiaries of improved air links,” Mr Bridges says.

“New Zealand already has air services agreements with eight of the ten members of ASEAN and we are working on agreements with the remaining two – Laos and Myanmar.

“We are also looking at the possibility of a comprehensive air services agreement with ASEAN as a whole.”

In the year ended June 2015, New Zealand received 48,500 visitors from ASEAN members. This was a 57 percent increase on the number of arrivals for the same period in 2010.

Air New Zealand’s code-share services to Cambodia are expected to further increase these numbers.