Chinese airlines cut Cambodia flights 35%

Chinese airlines have cut scheduled service to Cambodia by about 35% through June, according to an AirPlusNews post on X dated May 20. The same post said cuts by Chinese carriers also reached 17% for Vietnam and 10% for Thailand, pointing to a kerosene crisis as the driver of the reductions. Those figures fit a broader pattern of fuel-related disruption across Asia, where airlines have already been trimming flights and seats as jet fuel costs and supply constraints spread through regional networks. ### Where does the 35% Cambodia figure come from? AirPlusNews on May 20 said Chinese airlines had reduced flights to Cambodia by about 35% through June, with smaller cuts for Vietnam and Thailand in the same period. The post, cited in the source briefing for this story, framed the changes as part of a wider regional pullback by Chinese carriers. CNA reported on April 17 that Chinese travelers were already seeing cancellations on routes between China and Southeast Asia as airlines cut back flights amid surging fuel costs tied to the Middle East conflict. (channelnewsasia.com) The outlet said its checks showed multiple cancellations on routes linking Chinese cities to destinations in the region since early April. ### What is behind the kerosene crisis? TTG Asia reported on April 28 that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted nearly 21% of the world’s seaborne oil supply and created both a price shock and physical fuel constraint for aviation. OAG Aviation’s Asia Pacific commercial and industry affairs lead, Mayur Patel, told TTG Asia that the disruption was “significant and worsening,” and that Asian carriers were especially exposed because fuel hedging is weaker across the region. (channelnewsasia.com) Euronews reported on May 5, citing Cirium data, that airlines worldwide had cut about 13,000 flights and nearly 2 million seats from May schedules in the previous two weeks. The report said jet fuel costs had more than doubled since the Iran conflict began in February, prompting carriers to cancel flights, switch to smaller aircraft and raise fares. (ttgasia.com) ### Why are Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand all showing up in the same travel alert? Vietnam’s aviation regulator had already warned airlines in March to prepare for flight reductions from April and later months because of fuel supply risks. Ch-aviation, citing Reuters and official documents, reported on March 18 that Vietnam imports more than two-thirds of its jet fuel needs and that about 60% came from China and Thailand before export restrictions took hold. (euronews.com) TTG Asia said VietJet Air had cut nearly 20% of international departures on 24 routes between March 29 and May 31, while Bamboo Airways ordered a 30% capacity reduction. That helps explain why travel sellers and industry watchers have been tracking Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand together as one affected Southeast Asia corridor rather than as separate markets. (ch-aviation.com) ### Does Cambodia itself have a fuel shortage? Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation said on March 31 that the country was not facing difficulty supplying jet fuel, even as airlines raised fares. SSCA spokesperson Sinn Chansereyvutha told the Phnom Penh Post that “there are no signs that we are facing difficulties in supplying jet fuel,” while acknowledging that 18 of the 36 airlines flying to and from Cambodia had adjusted ticket prices. (ttgasia.com) That means the immediate pressure on Cambodia appears to be more about airline network decisions and higher operating costs than a confirmed domestic fuel outage. The Phnom Penh Post said average fare increases were about $20-$30, with Cambodia connected to 46 cities in 17 countries at the time of the report. ### What should travelers watch next? (phnompenhpost.com) June schedules are the next concrete checkpoint because the AirPlusNews figures refer to cuts “through June.” Travelers booking multicountry Southeast Asia trips are also still seeing package offers in market, including a May 20 post promoting a 22-day Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand itinerary from $3,499, even as airline seat capacity is being reduced, according to the source briefing for this story. (phnompenhpost.com) (channelnewsasia.com)