February 5, 2026
PHNOM PENH – US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Cambodia’s national carrier Air Cambodia have announced the airline’s order for up to 20 737 MAX airplanes, unveiling the agreement at the Singapore Airshow.
A February 3 Boeing press release shared that the airline has placed an initial order for 10 Boeing 737-8 (MAX 8) aircraft, The airline finalised its order, with the opportunity for 10 more, in December 2025. This marks Air Cambodia’s largest-ever acquisition of single-aisle aircraft and its first aircraft order from Boeing.
With the 737 MAX, Air Cambodia will renew and grow its fleet as air travel serves an increasing role in connecting people and places throughout the region and the world. The airline will leverage the 737-8’s capabilities, efficiency and passenger comfort features for its expanding network of high-demand routes across Asia.
“The 737-8 gives Air Cambodia the ideal combination of range, capacity and fuel efficiency to support our next phase of growth,” said David Zhan, CEO of Air Cambodia.
“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,” he added.
The Boeing 737-8, also known as the Boeing 737 MAX 8, can carry up to 178 passengers and has a range of 3,500 miles (6,480 kilometres). Air Cambodia will benefit from the airplane’s flexible capacity and lower operating costs due to a 20% reduction in fuel use and emissions compared to the airplanes it replaces.
“We are proud to welcome Air Cambodia as our newest 737 MAX customer and look forward to partnering with them to introduce the versatile and reliable 737-8 to the Kingdom of Cambodia,” said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.
“We are committed to supporting the growth of aviation in Cambodia and throughout the region as Air Cambodia strengthens ties across Asia with these fuel-efficient airplanes,” he added.
Air Cambodia currently operates a fleet of six single-aisle and regional jets on domestic and international routes to Vietnam, India, Thailand, China, Japan and Hong Kong.
The order is part of a commitment made by Cambodia’s government trade negotiation task force, led by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, in discussions with US government representatives to reduce reciprocal tariffs on Cambodian goods exported to the US. These tariffs were initially announced at 49%, later reduced to 36% and ultimately lowered to 19%.
Previously, on September 8, Air Cambodia and China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the planned purchase of 20 China-made C909 regional aircraft. Ten aircraft were confirmed orders, with an intention to purchase an additional 10. The C909 can seat between 78 and 97 passengers and has a maximum range of approximately 2,225 to 3,700 kilometres.