Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Lithuania leisure airline Small Planet Airlines is granted on 3 October 2017 the Cambodian Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) to operate international flights from its only Asian hub in Siem Reap. The AOC covers technical aspects of operations and Small Planet Airlines will require additional permits from SSCA for future routes that Small Planet Airlines intend to fly from Siem Reap.
According to Vilnius-headquartered Small Planet Airlines, the Cambodia unit of Small Planet Airlines, known also as Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd, currently has the Airbus A320-200 stationed in Siem Reap and it is wet leased to Cambodia Angkor Air for scheduled flights to Phnom Penh, Guilin, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and flights to Hong Kong that will commence on 29 October 2017.
Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd plans to add two more A320 jets to its Siem Reap hub by end of the year from its Lithuania parent hub in Vilnius as part of the entire fleet of Small Planet Airlines which consist of 8 A320 and 4 A321 are wet leased to other airlines during the European winter low season. By 2019, it aims to own six aircraft in Siem Reap.
According to Small Planet Airlines' Cambodia management office in Phnom Penh, its main shareholder is Aviation Invest Cambodia which holds a 51 per cent share in the airline while 29 per cent of the remaining shares are held by Small Planet Group and 20 per cent by the company's chief executives including Erikas Zubrus, CEO of Cambodia-based Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd.
Vilnius-based Small Planet Airlines CEO Kristijonas Kaikaris commented, "Small Planet Airlines has a unique business strategy. Due to a challenging seasonality in Europe, since 2012 we have been moving part of our fleet to Asia. Last year we implemented highly successful projects in India, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia, and managed to fly more block hours in Asia than we did in Europe. Co-owing the Cambodia AOC is another important milestone in our efforts to maximize aircraft utilization and expand presence in Asia".
Small Planet Airlines is looking into possibilities to launch charter and scheduled flights on its own from Siem Reap to China, Incheon, Busan and Hong Kong. It will continue to wet lease its aircraft to other Cambodian airlines.
Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd is the third airline to be granted Cambodia AOC after JC International Airlines and Lanmei Airlines this year, all of which are partially owned by foreigners. JC International Airlines and Lanmei Airlines are partially managed by Chinese investors.
AirAsia is also said to be in the process of seeking AOC from SSCA to establish operations of AirAsia Cambodia.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Lithuania leisure airline Small Planet Airlines is granted on 3 October 2017 the Cambodian Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) to operate international flights from its only Asian hub in Siem Reap. The AOC covers technical aspects of operations and Small Planet Airlines will require additional permits from SSCA for future routes that Small Planet Airlines intend to fly from Siem Reap.
According to Vilnius-headquartered Small Planet Airlines, the Cambodia unit of Small Planet Airlines, known also as Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd, currently has the Airbus A320-200 stationed in Siem Reap and it is wet leased to Cambodia Angkor Air for scheduled flights to Phnom Penh, Guilin, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and flights to Hong Kong that will commence on 29 October 2017.
Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd plans to add two more A320 jets to its Siem Reap hub by end of the year from its Lithuania parent hub in Vilnius as part of the entire fleet of Small Planet Airlines which consist of 8 A320 and 4 A321 are wet leased to other airlines during the European winter low season. By 2019, it aims to own six aircraft in Siem Reap.
According to Small Planet Airlines' Cambodia management office in Phnom Penh, its main shareholder is Aviation Invest Cambodia which holds a 51 per cent share in the airline while 29 per cent of the remaining shares are held by Small Planet Group and 20 per cent by the company's chief executives including Erikas Zubrus, CEO of Cambodia-based Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd.
Vilnius-based Small Planet Airlines CEO Kristijonas Kaikaris commented, "Small Planet Airlines has a unique business strategy. Due to a challenging seasonality in Europe, since 2012 we have been moving part of our fleet to Asia. Last year we implemented highly successful projects in India, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia, and managed to fly more block hours in Asia than we did in Europe. Co-owing the Cambodia AOC is another important milestone in our efforts to maximize aircraft utilization and expand presence in Asia".
Small Planet Airlines is looking into possibilities to launch charter and scheduled flights on its own from Siem Reap to China, Incheon, Busan and Hong Kong. It will continue to wet lease its aircraft to other Cambodian airlines.
Small Planet Airlines Co Ltd is the third airline to be granted Cambodia AOC after JC International Airlines and Lanmei Airlines this year, all of which are partially owned by foreigners. JC International Airlines and Lanmei Airlines are partially managed by Chinese investors.
AirAsia is also said to be in the process of seeking AOC from SSCA to establish operations of AirAsia Cambodia.
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