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Boeing has today confirmed the customer for up to 20 737 MAX 8s. The order was placed in December, but has been listed as for an unidentified customer. Today, it was announced that the aircraft are destined for Air Cambodia. 10 of the aircraft are firm, with another 10 on option.
Air Cambodia is the flag carrier of Cambodia. The airline was founded as Cambodia Angkor Air in 2009 as a partnership between the Cambodian Government and Vietnam Airlines. Today, the airline operates the A320 family and the ATR 72 family of aircraft, with the Boeing order being its “largest single-aisle order” to date.
10+ Boeing 737 MAX 8s Are Going To Air Cambodia
Boeing has a new customer, with Air Cambodia confirmed as responsible for ten Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with options for up to ten more aircraft. This order of MAXs will be used to renew and grow the carrier’s existing fleet of A320s, A321s, and ATR 72s on its international routes to Vietnam, India, Thailand, China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
According to Boeing, by flying the 737 MAX 8, Air Cambodia will see a 20% reduction in fuel use compared to the A320 family aircraft it is replacing. Reduced fuel usage doesn’t just allow the airline to reduce its costs; it also means fewer emissions from the aircraft, thus increasing the airline’s sustainability credentials.
The airline’s CEO, Dr. David Zhan, mentioned the aircraft’s fuel efficiency, commenting,
“The 737-8 gives Air Cambodia the ideal combination of range, capacity and fuel efficiency to support our next phase of growth. This investment… will let us launch direct services to important markets across North and Southeast Asia, and offer competitively priced travel for passengers, while creating local jobs and training opportunities that strengthen our communities.”
Airbus, Boeing, COMAC… Air Cambodia Has Other Aircraft Orders
Today’s confirmation of the Boeing 737 MAX order is not the only aircraft order that Air Cambodia is currently pursuing. According to Reuters, the airline placed a similar order for the Comac C909 in September. Similar to the Boeing order, Air Cambodia is reportedly expecting 10 firm C909s, with options for 10 more aircraft. This order was sealed in September 2025.
The C909 (formerly the ARJ 21) is a smaller jet than the C919. It is the C919 which is comparable in size to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. Meanwhile, the C909s on order are designed to carry 78-97 passengers in a 2-3 configuration, making it more of a regional jet to rival the Embraer family of aircraft.
According to fleet data from Cirium, there are currently 177 COMAC C919 aircraft in service, with a further eight in storage. 363 aircraft remain on order, with 15 on option. Cirium lists Air Cambodia’s orders as letters of intent. 168 of the in-service Comac C909s are in China, with five in Indonesia, two in Laos, one in Vietnam, and one listed in Malta.
Why VietJet Air Is Leasing 2 COMAC C909s
Vietjet is operating two wet leased C909s from China to service its Con Dao Islands after failing to secure E190s in time.
Where Is Air Cambodia Flying In February?
According to schedule data from Cirium, Air Cambodia has 1,268 flights scheduled throughout February 2026. This is split between the Airbus A320 family at 49.4% and the ATR 72 family at 50.6%. With the vastly different seat maps of the two aircraft, the total seats aren’t similarly distributed as 50/50. Instead, the A320 family accounts for 99,298 seats, or 68.3% of total seats. The ATR 72 family has 46,152 seats scheduled, or 31.7% of total seats.
From Cambodia, the airline flies to 17 destinations with varying frequency. The most served destination is Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) in Vietnam with 187 flights (equating to 6.7 rotations daily). Meanwhile, Nanning in China has just 7 scheduled services through the month, equating to 1,050 seats in each direction.
