Dara Sakor International Airport, which is operated by Coastal Airport Investment Co. Ltd (CAI), began trial operations on the morning of December 26, with the arrival of a chartered flight from Phnom Penh International Airport carrying more than 50 passengers.

Located in Kiri Sakor and Botum Sakor districts of Koh Kong Province, Dara the airport is being developed by CAI, with an investment of $200 million. Now in the first phase, a 218 hectare area has been developed. In the next phase, an additional 1,000 hectares will be developed. 

The airport sits on land belonging to the Union Development Group’s development project.

Mao Havannal, Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), attended the “First Domestic Chartered Flight Arrival at Dara Sakor International Airport” ceremony.

He declared that the achievement is the result of excellent cooperation between CAI’s team and the leadership and technical team of the SSCA. 

Havannal added that the political stability of the past two decades has contributed to the growth of Cambodia in all sectors, including the aviation sector, which is rapidly advancing.

“Dara Sakor International Airport will play a key role in connecting Koh Kong province to other domestic and international airports, and it will also help boost tourism, trade and the economy throughout Cambodia,” he said.

The leadership of the civil aviation secretariat inspect the control tower at Dara Sakor International Airport. SSCA

Sinn Chanserey Vutha, SSCA spokesperson told The Post that the airport will accept domestic flights in the future.

“This was a test flight towards official operation in the future if there is a clear market demand, but for now, there is not yet significant demand,” he explained.

He noted that the aircraft that arrived was operated by Cambodia Angkor Air(Air Cambodia). Most of the passengers are CAI staff, government officials and representatives from tourism associations/companies.

According to CAI, the airport is expected to handle approximately 7 million passengers and 10,000 tonnes of cargo annually, with projections to increase to 20 million passengers and 60,000 tons of cargo annually, from 2030 to 2050.

Ho Vandy, chairman of the Cambodia Tourism Association (CATA), told The Post that the establishment of an airport, whether for domestic or international flights, brings positive economic and tourism benefits to the country. 

He added that air travel is an excellent choice for travellers or tourists who do not have much time, especially foreign visitors, who can use short trips to visit the ancient temples in Siem Reap province as well as the Kingdom’s coastal regions.

“Good infrastructure such as roads, airports and ports will help enhance Cambodia’s attractiveness to both domestic and international tourists,” he said.

The opening of the airport was originally planned for 2022 but was delayed due to various crises, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cambodia is also planning the official opening of Techo International Airport (TIA) in July 2025, with more than 92% of the construction already completed.

TIA is a Greenfield airport with a total area of 2,600 hectares, located 19 kilometres from Phnom Penh. 

The construction is divided into three phases, with Phase 1 involving the construction of a 4-kilometre runway for 4F-type aircraft, capable of handling more than 15 million passengers annually by 2030. 

Phase 2 will expand to include two parallel runways, increasing the capacity to 30 million passengers annually by 2050. 

Phase 3, starting in 2050, will add a third runway, enabling the airport to handle up to 45 million passengers annually.

Its 4F classification means large aircraft, like the Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 747-800, will be able to land at the airport.