The South Gate

The South Gate of Angkor Thom is one of five gates to the ancient city, and it is also the busiest. Even in the rainy season, there are always cars and buses queuing to enter the narrow gateway. Tourists usually walk over the causeway, admiring the gateway and reproductions of the heads of the gods and demons along the balustrade.

It is slightly amusing to see hordes of tourists crammed together, when only a few metres away they would be virtually alone. To avoid seeing the South Gate clogged with traffic and tourists, walk to the left down to the moat for the view shown in the photo. The traffic and people are hidden by the walls of the causeway and cattle can often be seen grazing by the water's edge.

Nearby are a couple of small temples - Prasat Bei with three towers, and Baksei Chamkrong, a 12 metre pyramid dedicated to Shiva. Its name means "the bird which shelters under its wings." This refers to the legend of King Yasovarman escaping from battle, being saved by a huge bird which hid him from view. Both these temples date from the tenth century.

Airbus Cuts 2009 Target For A380 Deliveries

European planemaker Airbus confirmed yesterday it had cut its 2009 delivery target for A380s by one aircraft to 13 planes and said it was maintaining its delivery forecast for 2010.

"In agreement with a customer [Singapore Airlines] we have moved the 14th aircraft [for 2009] by a few weeks from December to early 2010," spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.

"We maintain our planning to deliver more than 20 aircraft in 2010 as announced," he added. Shares in parent EADS fell 0.5 percent in early trading, slightly lagging other leading stocks.

Airbus is shifting into a second automated production phase for the A380 known as Wave 2.

The first 25 aircraft had to be wired up manually due to industrial problems that pushed delivery of the world's largest jetliner back by two years.

"'We have just recently delivered the first Wave 2 aircraft and the second will follow very soon," Schaffrath said.

Siem Reap Airlines set to resume on all routes

Govt says the troubled line will resume its international flights and Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route - most likely in October.

Siem Reap Airways will resume international flights - as well as the domestic Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route - when it relaunches, most likely next month, a government aviation official said Sunday.

Sinn Chansereyvutha, director of the department of policy planning at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said that the airline would again fly to Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

The airline started flying to Ho Chi Minh City in late October before it grounded all international flights from December 1 following a European Union ban imposed after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation found Cambodia in breach of 107 standards.

As the only Cambodian airline at the time, it therefore decided to suspend flights, Terry Alton, Siem Reap Airways general manager, previously told the Post. He was unavailable for further comment Sunday.

"We do not have any more reasons to suspend Siem Reap Airways flights . because the company already has the necessary documents and has fulfilled technical requirements," said Sinn Chansereyvutha, adding that the government had approved a new two-year licence for the airline.
"We believe that Siem Reap Airways will start its official flights by November," he said.

News of the return of the troubled airline comes after the Cambodian government chose not to renew the licence for its owner, Bangkok Airways, to fly the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route from October 25, a decision it announced to travel agents the same day, according to a company
statement. It did not give any further details on the suspension of its flights on the route in the announcement.

The government said the decision was made on the basis that Bangkok Airways had only been granted the route due to the suspension of Siem Reap Airways flights last year.

New national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air started the same domestic route at the end of July, and it now looks certain that two domestic carriers will compete on the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route from the end of next month at the latest.

Relaunch date still unclear
Sinn Chansereyvutha said the exact restart date for Siem Reap Airways would depend on when the carrier was ready to fly again.

The airline had not posted news of its relaunch on its Web site by late Sunday.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways will increase the fuel surcharge on its international flights to and from Cambodia from October 1, it said in announcement, from US$15 to $20 per one-way flight. The airline said it would keep the fuel surcharge for domestic flights in the Kingdom at $12 per ticket from the same date until it stops flying between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

The last flight on the route is scheduled to fly from the capital at 12:35pm on October 24.

Govt to stop Bangkok Air's domestic flights

Civil aviation body says that Thai airline will not have its agreement extended for Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route. The government will not renew its agreement with Bangkok Airways, under which the Thai-owned airline flies domestic routes, when it expires on October 25, a senior aviation official told the Post late Wednesday.

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Secretary of State Mao Havannal said the decision was made to give a boost to the new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), which made its maiden flight on July 28.

"Now that we have our own domestic airline, Bangkok Airways will not be allowed to continue their flights when the agreement finishes on October 25," he said.

Bangkok Airways has been flying four flights daily between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap since taking over the route last November when its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded by the SSCA.

SSCA Cabinet Chief Long Chheng said Thursday that the body sent Bangkok Airways a letter last week informing it of the decision.

Bangkok Airways Acting Country Director Amornrat Kongsawat was not available for comment Thursday.

A representative of the airline in Bangkok who did not want to be named said she was unaware of the issue, but added that affairs in Cambodia did not come under her jurisdiction.

SSCA Director of Operations Kao Sivorn confirmed that the decision was a commercial one to support the new national carrier.

"Before, we allowed this airline to operate domestically because we did not have a local company, but now we have, so we will not let them continue," he said.

However, he added that the airline would be able to negotiate a code-share agreement with CAA so that its passengers could continue flying between the two destinations.

Mao Havannal also ruled out a return to the skies for Siem Reap Airways, saying it still did not comply with "the proper standards".

The airline, which was founded in 2000, was grounded last year amid concerns over safety standards and financial irregularities after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The audit found that the airline did not comply with Cambodian airline regulations, including safety standards, and also raised concerns over the ability of Cambodian civil aviation authorities to enforce international safety standards.

A source within the SSCA told the Post in June the audit found Cambodia in breach of 107 international standards and said it would ban all local airlines if action was not taken, leading to the decision by authorities to take a tough stand against Siem Reap Airways.

The European Commission also banned Siem Reap Airways from operating in the European Union last year due to safety concerns, even though the airline did not offer service to Europe.
Soy Sokhan, an undersecretary of state at the SSCA who is in charge of all matters related to CAA on behalf of the government, said the end of Bangkok Airways agreement would "give us the chance to get more passengers".