Direct Flights to Siem Reap - Complete Guide to New Routes, Airlines, and Travel Tips (2025)

What's New with Siem Reap Flights in 2025?

Let me tell you – everything’s different now. Three big airlines just jumped into the Siem Reap market:

Sky Angkor Airlines – Flying direct from Seoul
Asiana Airlines – Also connecting South Korea with daily service
IndiGo Airlines – Starting the first-ever direct India-Cambodia route in February

Plus, Thai AirAsia and Thai Airways brought back their Bangkok and Phuket connections. This is huge for anyone planning a temple trip!

“BREAKING: 7 New Direct Flights to Siem Reap Open in 2025 (Skip the Layovers!)”

You can now fly straight to Angkor Wat from Seoul, Bangkok, and even India – saving you 8+ hours of travel time!

Three big airlines just added Siem Reap to their maps. Thai AirAsia flies there from Bangkok and Phuket. Sky Angkor and Asiana connect from Seoul. IndiGo will start flights from India in February. These direct routes mean no more wasting a whole day on layovers!

The new airport sits 40 km from town, but don’t worry – $30 gets you a taxi right to your hotel.

Ready to see those ancient temples without the travel headache? Let’s check out all your new flight options for 2025.

Direct Flights to Siem Reap 2025 – Executive Summary

Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat temples, now has many more direct flights thanks to its new airport. Three new airlines—Sky Angkor Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and IndiGo Airlines—started non-stop flights to Cambodia from South Korea and India. Thai AirAsia and Thai Airways also brought back their routes from Bangkok and Phuket.

The new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) opened in October 2023, located 40 km from the city. It can handle 7 million passengers each year, with plans to grow to 12 million by 2040. This big change helped bring 35% more tourists in early 2025 compared to last year.

Yet some issues remain. Flight schedules for mid-2025 are often late to update, tickets for some flight routes to Cambodia (like Vietnam-Cambodia) cost a lot, and there are mixed reports about Cambodia tourism recovery.

While official reports show almost 30% more visitors to Angkor Archaeological Park in 2024, local business owners say hotel rooms stay empty and tourists spend less money.

For travelers, it helps to:

watch for new flight routes to Cambodia,
think about going through Bangkok or Phnom Penh if direct flights aren’t available,
and use sites like Skyscanner to find the best flight deals to Cambodia.

Direct Flights to Siem Reap 2025 – Background and Context

Siem Reap draws millions of visitors each year to see Angkor Wat, a UNESCO site. Before COVID, Cambodia tourism had 6.6 million foreign visitors. Many came to see the temples.

The old airport sat just 5 km from Angkor Wat. People worried that planes flying so close might damage the ancient temples. This led to building the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, which opened in October 2023.

Built with $1.1 billion from a China-Cambodia partnership, SAI has a 3,600-meter runway that can take bigger planes. The new airport sits 40-50 km east of the temples, far enough to protect them from noise and shaking.

Cambodia tourism bounced back to 6.7 million visitors in 2024, passing pre-pandemic levels. But the mix of tourists has changed – now more than half come from nearby countries like Thailand and Vietnam, while visits from Europe, Australia, and North America are starting to grow again.

Non-stop flights to Cambodia, especially direct ones from key cities, help keep Siem Reap’s tourism strong and bring in different types of visitors.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Planning a trip to Siem Reap? You’re in for an adventure! Whether you’re flying in, exploring the temples, or just looking for cool spots to check out, we’ve got you covered. This guide breaks everything down in simple, no-nonsense language. No confusing travel jargon—just straight-up useful info to make your trip smooth and stress-free. Ready? Let’s go!

Direct Flights to Siem Reap 2025 – Current State Analysis

New Routes and Airline Expansion

The new airport has greatly improved Siem Reap aviation. When SAI opened, 17 airlines moved there from the old airport. By early 2024, you could fly to SAI from eight countries, including six ASEAN nations plus China and South Korea.

Recent route launches include:

1. Thai AirAsia – Started Phuket\-Siem Reap flights (3 times weekly from October 2024), on top of their Bangkok\-Siem Reap route. These flights make it easy to visit both Thai beaches and Cambodian temples in one trip.

2. IndiGo Airlines – India’s biggest low-cost airline will start flying from Kolkata to Siem Reap in February 2025 (3 times weekly). This is the first direct link between India and Siem Reap, aimed at Indian tourists who want to see Angkor’s amazing temples.

3. Sky Angkor Airlines & Asiana Airlines – Both started flights between Seoul-Incheon and Siem Reap in December 2024. Sky Angkor Airlines is a Cambodian airline, while Asiana Airlines is a major South Korean carrier. Their flights run daily or almost daily during peak winter months (December-February), making it much easier for Korean tourists to visit.

4. VietJet – Started daily flights between Hanoi and Siem Reap in December 2023, making it easier to visit both Vietnam and Cambodia in one trip.

5. AirAsia Cambodia – This new low-cost airline began flying in 2024 with Airbus A320s. They connect Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville with eight daily domestic flights, with one-way fares as low as $29-$49 during promotions.

Siem Reap Airport Improvements

The new SAI airport has been key in bringing more flights. Its long runway can now take wide-body jets and long-haul flight routes to Cambodia that couldn’t land at the old airport.

In November 2023, SAI received its first direct flight from Australia – a chartered EuroAtlantic Airways Boeing 777-200 from Sydney with 208 passengers. This showed the airport could handle long flights and raised hopes for more direct services from Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

In its first year (October 2023 – October 2024), SAI handled 1.3 million passengers and 14,556 flights – a strong start showing quick recovery. The passenger experience has improved too: the new terminal is big and meets international standards, though its distance from Siem Reap city (40-50 km) means longer Siem Reap airport transfer times.

Airport officials expect growth to continue, projecting over 1.5 million passengers in 2024 and planning expansions to handle 12 million annually by 2040.

Potential Long-Haul Connections

While no regular direct flights exist yet from Europe or Australia to Siem Reap (as of early 2025), some important steps have been taken:

The charter flight from Australia mentioned above proved such routes can work
Australian interest in Siem Reap jumped by 529% according to Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2025 report
Cambodian officials are working to start direct flights to Melbourne (potential route), Australia
Emirates has hinted at expanding to Siem Reap in 2025 (likely stopping in Singapore, similar to their Phnom Penh route)
Turkish Airlines will start Phnom Penh\-Istanbul non-stop flights by mid-2025, giving Europeans another one-stop option to reach Cambodia

Statistical Data and Key Metrics

Cambodia tourism welcomed 6.7 million international tourists in 2024, up 22.9% from 2023 and slightly above pre-pandemic numbers. Tourism made up about 9.4% of Cambodia’s GDP that year. For 2025, the country aims to attract 7.5 million foreign visitors.

Siem Reap province saw nearly 900,000 international visitors buy tickets to Angkor Archaeological Park from January to November 2024, generating $41.9 million in revenue – about 28% more than the previous year.

The visitor mix is changing: over half of Cambodia’s 2024 international arrivals came from neighboring Thailand and Vietnam (3.1+ million combined). But many of these visitors are making short visits or come for business/casinos in border areas, not to see Angkor Wat. Tour guides report that most tourists visiting Angkor Archaeological Park come from Europe, North America, China, and Japan.

By early 2024, SAI airport connected to 15 cities in 8 countries via 12 airlines. Routes included Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Kunming, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Seoul-Incheon, Guangzhou, and more. The airport handled 10,971 flights and over 1 million passengers in just the first 5 months (October 2023 – February 2024).

Ticket prices for new routes are often good deals: flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap can cost as little as $95 round-trip. AirAsia Cambodia offered promotional one-way fares at $49 and even some “free seat” campaigns when they launched.

For international routes, prices vary. Singapore Airlines offers Siem Reap flights from Australia via Singapore for about USD $500, while budget carriers like AirAsia Cambodia, VietJet, and Thai Smile often have one-way fares under $100 within ASEAN (depending on the season).

Direct Flights to Siem Reap 2025 – Case Studies

1\. AirAsia Cambodia’s Impact on Regional Travel

AirAsia Cambodia launched in May 2024 as Cambodia’s newest airline. They started with two Airbus A320s based in Phnom Penh, flying 8 daily domestic flights between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville.

By late 2024, they expanded to international routes, launching daily Siem Reap\-Singapore flights. At the same time, Thai AirAsia (part of the same group) started flying the Phuket\-Siem Reap route.

AirAsia Cambodia’s strategy uses its strong brand and Southeast Asia flight network to bring more tourists to Cambodia. Thai AirAsia’s Head of Commercial, Tansita Akranitpirom, noted their focus on expanding in Cambodia and India, seeing “significant potential” in these markets. She pointed out that 91% of AirAsia Cambodia’s routes are international, and many are within ASEAN.

Thailand’s visa-free entry program and Cambodia’s open aviation policies (like fifth freedom rights allowing routing via third countries) have helped AirAsia Cambodia grow. The Phuket\-Siem Reap flights fill a specific need: beach-to-temple trips. Travelers can now go from Thai beaches to Angkor in under 2 hours, which was only possible before via Bangkok or expensive charter flights.

AirAsia Cambodia’s entry has increased competition. Cambodia Angkor Air and other existing airlines responded by matching some fares and adding promotions. Travelers benefit from one-way fares under $50 and more flight choices throughout the day.

Domestic tourism between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap has also grown – weekend trips became easier for Cambodians and expats. In their first few months, AirAsia Cambodia carried tens of thousands of passengers.

2\. IndiGo’s Kolkata-Siem Reap Route

India and Cambodia share historic and cultural ties, but direct flights between them have been rare. Seeing an opportunity for growth, IndiGo Airlines – India’s largest low-cost airline – announced in late 2024 that it would start direct flights from Kolkata to Siem Reap in February 2025.

Kolkata makes sense as a starting point because it’s relatively close (flight time about 2.5 hours) and has many travelers interested in Buddhist heritage tourism. This route also takes advantage of the growing number of Indian middle-class tourists and Cambodia’s efforts to attract them by promoting Angkor Wat’s links to Hindu-Buddhist history.

The new service will run 3 times weekly using Airbus A320s. The schedule connects Siem Reap with IndiGo Airlines’s domestic network across India via Kolkata. For example, someone from Mumbai or Delhi can fly to Kolkata and then directly to Angkor without going through Bangkok or Singapore as before.

This news came alongside Cambodia Angkor Air changing its name to Air Cambodia and starting Phnom Penh\-Bangkok flights, showing a broader push for regional connections. For IndiGo Airlines, this fits their strategy to expand in Southeast Asia beyond their existing India-Thailand and India-Singapore routes. It also matches with the Indian government’s “Act East” policy encouraging connections with ASEAN countries.

While the route is just starting, it’s expected to increase Indian tourists to Cambodia (which numbered around 50,000 annually before the pandemic). Even a few thousand extra visitors per month can make a difference since Indian tourists tend to stay longer when traveling far from home.

If the Kolkata route succeeds, IndiGo Airlines and other Indian carriers might add flights from New Delhi or Mumbai to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Air India once tested a Delhi-Phnom Penh flight (as a charter for religious pilgrims) and could try again.

3\. Seoul-Siem Reap Connections (Sky Angkor & Asiana)

South Korea has long been among the top 5 sources of tourists for Cambodia. Many Korean visitors come specifically to Siem Reap for Angkor tours, often on package deals. Before the pandemic, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines served Siem Reap, but direct flights stopped during COVID.

In late 2024, Siem Reap got direct flights to Seoul again through two airlines: Sky Angkor Airlines (a Cambodian airline with Korean ties) and Asiana Airlines (one of Korea’s main carriers).

Sky Angkor Airlines began scheduled flights from Siem Reap to Seoul-Incheon in December 2024. Around the same time (December 25, 2024), Asiana Airlines launched a series of charter flights from Seoul-Incheon to Siem Reap, running daily through early March 2025.

Asiana Airlines used a modern A321neo for these flights and indicated plans to make it a regular seasonal route, possibly extending if demand stays strong. Asiana Airlines’s return is significant as they had previously left the Siem Reap market to their low-cost subsidiary Air Seoul; coming back suggests they believe in the market’s recovery.

The flights were timed to match winter vacations when Korean outbound travel peaks (Christmas, Lunar New Year).

The immediate result was more Korean tourists coming to Siem Reap during the 2024/25 winter. Hotels reported many bookings from Korean groups, and local guides who speak Korean saw more work. The flights also made travel more convenient – before, Koreans had to connect via Guangzhou, Bangkok, or Ho Chi Minh City to reach Siem Reap, which discouraged some tourists.

Now a non-stop flight of about 5 hours makes weekend trips and business travel groups more feasible. The Cambodian government actively encouraged Korean carriers to return, as shown by including Siem Reap in tourism talks between the two countries.

One smart practice is matching flight schedules with tourist itineraries – for example, flights arrive in Siem Reap in the evening and depart late at night, allowing a 3-day tour of Angkor to fit neatly into a 4-day holiday weekend from Korea.

Ticket prices remain a challenge – charter flights are priced higher (reportedly around $600-800 round-trip), but strong demand suggests that prices could come down if more regular flights are added.

Future Projections

Looking ahead, several trends are likely to shape Siem Reap aviation market:

1. More Long-Haul Flights:

Within the next 2-3 years, Siem Reap could see scheduled long-haul flights.

These might include a direct link to Europe (perhaps a seasonal charter from Paris or Frankfurt, given European interest in Angkor), and a regular Australia service.

Turkish Airlines’ entry to Phnom Penh in 2025 might lead to an Istanbul-Siem Reap extension or codeshare, allowing one-stop Europe-to-Angkor trips via Turkey.

Middle Eastern carriers like Qatar Airways or Air Arabia might also consider routes to Siem Reap as they expand in Asia.

2. ASEAN Open Skies & Regional Travel Growth:

ASEAN’s Protocol 5 on air transport (signed by Cambodia) aims to increase air connectivity among Southeast Asian nations. This will likely result in even more flights within ASEAN.

We might see direct flights between secondary cities like Chiang Mai-Siem Reap, more frequencies on Phuket-Siem Reap (already started by Thai AirAsia), Da Nang (Vietnam) – Siem Reap, or Jakarta-Siem Reap as Indonesian outbound tourism grows.

Low-cost carriers such as AirAsia Cambodia, VietJet, Lion Air and new airlines in ASEAN will drive this trend, making Siem Reap a weekend-break destination for more regional travelers.

3. Diversification of Source Markets:

Given the unpredictability of any single market (such as China’s slower return), Cambodia tourism will diversify its sources. Expect increased marketing and possibly charter flights targeting places like Japan (historically a good market for Cambodia), Eastern Europe (Russians and Eastern Europeans have started traveling more to Southeast Asia), and the Middle East/Central Asia.

One concrete development is the plan for India: if IndiGo Airlines’s route succeeds, more Indian cities might get connections (Delhi, Bangalore via connecting flights to Kolkata, or even a direct Mumbai route).

4. Rise of Multi-Destination Travel:

A trend growing after the pandemic is for travelers to visit multiple countries in one trip. With more flights, Siem Reap benefits as part of multi-country itineraries.

For instance, European travelers may do Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam in one trip more easily, now that flights like Phuket\-Siem Reap and Siem Reap\-Singapore exist.

This trend will likely lead to more code-sharing between airlines and combined ticket offers.

The tourism industry should prepare joint packages (e.g., a single pass for Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang in Laos, promoted together).

Practical Implications for Travelers

For travelers, these aviation developments greatly affect choices, convenience, and costs:

1. More Flight Options:

Tourists planning a trip to Siem Reap in 2025 have many more direct and one-stop flight options than a few years ago. This means they can be flexible with their routes. For example, a traveler from Europe might find it convenient to fly Turkish Airlines to Phnom Penh and take a short domestic hop to Siem Reap, or an Australian traveler might route via Bangkok and then directly to Siem Reap on Thai Smile or Thai AirAsia. The days of having to connect through multiple stops are largely over. Travel tip: use flight search engines to explore new connection possibilities – sometimes a combination of a full-service airline to an ASEAN hub and a low-cost carrier onward to Siem Reap can be both cheap and fast.

2. Lower Airfares (Often):

With increased competition, travelers may benefit from lower fares or promotional deals. Budget carriers are expanding, so watch for flash sales (like $0 base fare promos that AirAsia Cambodia is known for) on routes to Siem Reap. Airlines re-entering the market often offer introductory fares. It’s been reported that when VietJet launched Hanoi-Siem Reap, fares started at around $50 one-way, which was cheaper than traditional carriers. Travelers should watch for these flight deals to Cambodia, especially if they can be flexible with dates.

3. Time Savings:

Direct flights to Siem Reap save time. A regional traveler from Bangkok now can be in Siem Reap in just over an hour flight versus an 8-hour overland trip or a connecting flight. For long-haul visitors, even eliminating one connection can save 3-5 hours. This makes short trips to Angkor (like a weekend getaway) more possible. We might see more short stays because of easier access – for instance, business travelers in Bangkok visiting Siem Reap for a 2-day trip, which was too difficult before.

4. Multi-City Travel within Cambodia:

Tourists can also take advantage of improved domestic links. A popular option is “open-jaw tickets” – flying into Siem Reap and out of Phnom Penh (or vice versa). With AirAsia Cambodia and Cambodia Angkor Air providing frequent flights between these cities, travelers can easily do this without backtracking. There are also now flights from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville (coastal area), which means you could combine Angkor temples and a beach vacation in one trip, flying in between rather than taking a long bus ride.

5. Airport Transfer Considerations:

A practical point for anyone flying into Siem Reap’s new airport: plan your ground transportation. Unlike the old airport which was 15 minutes from town, now it’s nearly an hour. Many hotels are adjusting by offering pick-up shuttles (some at a charge, some free for certain packages). Independent travelers should know the approximate taxi costs (about $30-40 per car) or check the airport shuttle services timetable. Factor this into arrival/departure plans – e.g., if you have a morning Angkor tour the day after arrival, make sure you get to your hotel in time. Also, plan to leave the city at least 3 hours before flight time to Siem Reap until faster transport is available.

Based on these findings, here are some actionable recommendations:

Check for newly launched routes to potentially save time/money. For example, Europeans could look at flights via Istanbul (with Turkish Airlines) or the Middle East (with one-stop on Emirates or Qatar Airways) directly into Cambodia, instead of automatically going through Bangkok.
Take advantage of introductory fares by booking early. If you hear about a new route announcement (via news or airline newsletters), you can often get very low fares during the launch period.
Be aware of the new Siem Reap airport transfer situation – arrange transport beforehand if possible. Consider flights that arrive during daytime if you prefer not to travel the longer road at night.
For multi-country trips, make sure you have enough connection time when linking flights of different carriers, especially with point-to-point low-cost flights that might not wait if delays happen. Travel insurance covering missed connections could be useful in such cases.