Cambodia Bayon Airlines
A Cambodian scheduled airline that operated domestic routes and a Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City international service from 2014 until 2019.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cambodia Bayon Airlines was a Cambodian scheduled passenger airline based in Phnom Penh. It was established in 2014 to participate in Cambodia’s expanding civil-aviation market, drawing on the operating experience of China’s Joy Air and the aircraft-manufacturing capabilities of AVIC Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The airline was organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayon Airlines Holding Ltd., which was itself connected to Joy Air. The company was registered in April 2014 and received planning approval from the Cambodian Prime Minister’s Office in August of the same year. It obtained its air operator’s certificate in December 2014 and began scheduled service at the end of that month. Its initial operating base was Phnom Penh International Airport, with additional operating bases or operational activity associated with Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Ho Chi Minh City. Cambodia Bayon Airlines initially concentrated on domestic connectivity. Its early scheduled network linked Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, two of Cambodia’s principal tourism and business centers. It later added service involving Sihanoukville, expanding links between the capital, the Angkor region, and Cambodia’s southern coastal area. In July 2015, the airline began international flights between Phnom Penh and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The carrier operated Xian MA60 turboprop aircraft supplied through AVIC. The aircraft configuration described for the airline provided 50 seats, including 48 economy seats and two business-class seats. Its onboard proposition included complimentary meals and drinks on domestic and international services, an inflight magazine, and, at Sihanoukville, a complimentary shuttle connecting the airport with the city center. The brand used the slogan “For You. With You. About You.” The airline’s development plan contemplated expanding its fleet to five aircraft by the end of 2015 and importing at least 20 aircraft over a ten-year period. The available record does not establish that these longer-term fleet ambitions were achieved. Cambodia Bayon Airlines ultimately ceased all operations in 2019 and is therefore a defunct airline. Its history reflects an attempt to combine Chinese aviation-industry investment and regional aircraft with Cambodia’s growing domestic tourism and transport demand.
History
Cambodia Bayon Airlines emerged in 2014 as a new Cambodian airline project backed by Chinese aviation interests. The venture was created in response to expectations that Cambodia’s aviation market would continue to grow with tourism, domestic mobility, and regional business travel. Its development drew on the experience of Joy Air, a Chinese carrier, and on the aircraft and industrial resources associated with AVIC Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The airline was established in Phnom Penh on 17 April 2014. In August, it received planning approval from the Cambodian Prime Minister’s Office, an important regulatory step before commercial operations could begin. The company was structured as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayon Airlines Holding Ltd.; that holding company was in turn a subsidiary of Joy Air. This arrangement connected the Cambodian operating brand with a larger Chinese aviation group while keeping the airline focused on the Cambodian market. Cambodia Bayon Airlines received its air operator’s certificate in December 2014. Its first MA60 aircraft was delivered on 15 December, and the carrier began scheduled flights later that month. The first scheduled route linked Phnom Penh with Siem Reap, establishing a connection between Cambodia’s capital and its major Angkor tourism gateway. Phnom Penh International Airport served as the principal hub and first operational base. During 2015, the airline attempted to broaden its domestic footprint. It launched flights to Sihanoukville on 12 April, adding a route to Cambodia’s principal coastal tourism area. The listed network also included links between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, as well as service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The airline subsequently moved beyond the domestic market: on 1 July 2015 it inaugurated international flights from Phnom Penh to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Operational bases or operating activity were associated with Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Ho Chi Minh City. The carrier’s fleet centered on Xian MA60 turboprops. The aircraft were described as having a 50-passenger configuration, with 48 economy seats and two business-class seats. The onboard service included a complimentary meal and drink on both domestic and international flights, while an inflight magazine was available to passengers. At Sihanoukville International Airport, the airline also offered a free shuttle service between the airport and the city center. These features supported a brand promise expressed through the slogan “For You. With You. About You.” The company planned to import additional MA60 aircraft, with an expectation of reaching five aircraft by the end of 2015 and a longer-term ambition of bringing in at least 20 aircraft over ten years. The available source material does not confirm that the proposed expansion targets were met. Nor does it provide a detailed account of the airline’s financial performance, management, passenger volumes, or reasons for its eventual shutdown. Cambodia Bayon Airlines ceased all operations in 2019. Its operating life therefore lasted roughly five years, beginning with its late-2014 launch and ending before the close of the decade. The airline remains notable as a short-lived attempt to use Chinese regional-aircraft technology and investment to build a Cambodian domestic and cross-border passenger network.
- 2019
Operations discontinued
[1]Cambodia Bayon Airlines ceased all operations in 2019.
- 2015
Sihanoukville service launched
[1]Domestic flights to Sihanoukville began on 12 April 2015.
- 2015
Ho Chi Minh City route launched
[1]International flights from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City began on 1 July 2015.
- 2014
Company established
[1]Cambodia Bayon Airlines was established in Phnom Penh on 17 April 2014.
- 2014
Planning approval received
[1]The airline received planning approval from Cambodia’s Prime Minister’s Office on 21 August 2014.
- 2014
First MA60 delivered
[1]The carrier took delivery of its first Xian MA60 aircraft on 15 December 2014.
- 2014
Scheduled operations begin
[1]The airline began scheduled Phnom Penh–Siem Reap service on 30 December 2014 and recorded its inaugural flight at the end of that month.
Products and positioning
A Cambodia-focused regional airline positioned around domestic connectivity, tourism travel, and a service-oriented passenger proposition supported by Chinese aviation-industry partners.
Air transport · 2014
Scheduled domestic passenger services
The airline’s core offering was scheduled domestic air travel within Cambodia. Its network connected Phnom Penh with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and also listed a Siem Reap–Sihanoukville connection. These routes served the capital, the Angkor tourism market, and the country’s southern coastal destination.
International air transport · 2015
Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City service
Beginning in July 2015, Cambodia Bayon Airlines operated an international passenger route between Phnom Penh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The service extended the airline’s regional reach beyond its Cambodian domestic network.
Regional aircraft operation · 2014
MA60 passenger service
Cambodia Bayon Airlines used Xian MA60 turboprops configured for 50 passengers, comprising 48 economy seats and two business-class seats. The stated onboard service included a complimentary meal and drink on domestic and international flights, together with an inflight magazine.
Brand decisions
2015
Expand from domestic routes to VietnamStrategyBackground
After establishing domestic service, the airline sought to develop a broader regional network.
Action taken
It added a Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City international route in July 2015 while maintaining domestic links involving Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
Aftermath
The airline operated a combined Cambodian and Vietnam route network before eventually ceasing operations in 2019.
2014
Enter Cambodia’s developing regional aviation marketStrategyBackground
The venture was created to pursue opportunities in Cambodia’s growing aviation market, using the experience of Joy Air and the aircraft-industry capabilities associated with AVIC.
Action taken
Bayon Airlines Holding Ltd. established Cambodia Bayon Airlines as a Cambodian operating subsidiary based in Phnom Penh.
Aftermath
The airline obtained regulatory approval and began scheduled operations in December 2014.
Recent events
- 2019
Cambodia Bayon Airlines ceases operations[1]
Bankruptcy
The airline ceased all operations during 2019 and is treated as defunct.
- 2015
Domestic service to Sihanoukville launched[1]
Product launch
The airline expanded its Cambodian network with flights to Sihanoukville in April 2015.
- 2015
International service to Ho Chi Minh City launched[1]
Product launch
Cambodia Bayon Airlines opened its first listed international route, connecting Phnom Penh with Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, in July 2015.
- 2014
Cambodia Bayon Airlines receives air operator's certificate[1]
Other
The airline received its Cambodian air operator’s certificate in December 2014, enabling it to commence scheduled services.
- 2014
Cambodia Bayon Airlines begins scheduled operations[1]
Product launch
The carrier began scheduled service between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap at the end of December 2014.
Sources1 sources
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