Siem Reap’s New Airport to Start Operation in October

Photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows the steel structure of Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Sotr Nikum district, about 40 km from the UNESCO listed Angkor Archaeological Park and 50 km from Siem Reap provincial town of Cambodia. Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua

PHNOM PENH –- The New Siem Reap International Airport is 86 percent complete and is set to hold its first operational tests in June, while welcoming its first flights and passengers in October 2023.



The announcement was posted on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Facebook page following a meeting on March 6 at the Peace Palace with Liu Minglin, director general of Yunnan Investment Group, the Chinese State-Owned company which invested $880 million in the project.



PM Hun Sen encouraged the Chinese company to expedite the construction and make sure it meets all the requirements before operating.



“The airport plays an important role in connecting not only domestically but also with other countries in the region and the world as the current airport cannot accommodate large aircraft,” the PM said.



The international airport, which is set to be the largest airport in the country when it opens—it covers a parcel of 700 hectares— has a 3,600-meter runway that can accommodate all kinds of aircraft.



It aims to attract 7 million passengers a year by 2030.



In comparison, the current Siem Reap Airport has a 2,550-meter runway, which is not long enough for large carriers, and received 3.9 million passengers in 2019 before the pandemic started.



The New Siem Reap International Airport is located in Sotr Nikum district, 40 kilometers from the Angkor Archaeological Park and 50 kilometers from the provincial capital.



It will eventually replace the existing airport, which has been run by Cambodia Airports, a subsidiary of French operator Vinci Airports, since 2001.



Cambodia has been in a move towards upgrading its airport infrastructure for more than five years. In addition to Siem Reap, new international airports are being built in the capital city of Phnom Penh and in Dara Sakor, in Koh Kong province.


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