An illustration of Phnom Penh's planned international airport is displayed. PHOTO SUPPLIED
More than 50 per cent of the first phase of the Techo International Airport’s (TIA) construction, costing $712 million, was completed as of June 30, according to a spokesperson from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).
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Sin Chansereyvutha disclosed on July 9 that the entire first phase of the project is slated for completion in 2024, as per the updated master schedule from the Cambodia Airport Investment Company (CAIC) – a joint venture between the government represented by the SSCA and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC), the local conglomerate behind the airport construction.
The airport is scheduled to open in 2025.
“After the first phase is completed, TIA will be equipped to accommodate Airbus A-340-300, A350-900, and long-range Boeing200/300ER, B747-300/400,” said the spokesman.
“The facility will also feature 32 parking lots and have the capacity to welcome up to 15 million passengers annually, and handle 175,000 tonnes of air cargo by 2024. By 2030, the cargo capacity is expected to rise to 30,000 tonnes a year,” he added.
He noted that the construction of a 60m wide, 13.5km long road, linking Hun Sen Blvd via National Road 2 to the TIA, are both 46 per cent complete.
In the first six months of 2023, the aviation sector experienced a surge of nearly 270 per cent in passenger numbers, exceeding 2.4 million over the same period last year.
“We recorded 24,725 flights, marking an increase of nearly 150 per cent compared to the same period of 2022. However, we observed a decrease of over 17 per cent in cargo, recording 24,616 tonnes,” he noted.
Ho Vandy, an adviser to the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said that upon its full completion, the TIA will enhance the ease of international travel to the Kingdom, due to its size and the potential for more direct flights.
“Waterways, roads, and airways are crucial factors in boosting visitor growth to Cambodia. The government is making significant strides in building new airports at tourist provinces to facilitate international travellers visiting Cambodia,” he said.
