Air Cambodia unveils an order for 10 Boeing MAX jets

Cambodia's national airline, Air Cambodia, unveiled an order for 10 Boeing 737 MAX jets on Tuesday, saying it underscored deepening relations with the United States.



The deal, finalised in December, was made public at the Singapore Airshow in the presence of U.S. and Cambodian officials and diplomats. It includes firm orders for 10 planes and the opportunity for another 10, Boeing said.



"Today's signing sends a strong and positive signal...about the deep cooperation between Cambodia and the United States," Cambodia's Civil Aviation Minister Mao Havannall told a news conference.



The deal to buy the jets, first reported by Reuters last August, was part of Cambodia's negotiations to reduce a U.S. tariff on its products from 49% initially threatened, to 19%.



Ties between Cambodia and the United States, its biggest export market, have improved since President Donald Trump returned to office following a period of testy relations under the Biden administration amid concerns about Phnom Penh's human rights record and political freedoms.