The first phase of Techo International Airport (IATA Code KTI) construction, located in Kandal and Takeo provinces, is now 75.8 % complete. H.E Sinn Chansereyvutha, Under-Secretary of State at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), stated on Thursday.
Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Mao Havannall has instructed domestic and international airlines, as well as other relevant service providers, to prepare for the opening of the Techo International Airport. It will be a class 4F airport, capable of handling large commercial aircraft. He led a delegation of representatives from local and international airlines on a 6 June inspection tour of the construction site.
“The SSCA is committed to implementing the ‘open skies’ policy, reinforcing aviation safety and security, and expanding domestic and international airport infrastructure. We will continue to strengthen international cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral, and further increase direct flights into the Kingdom of Cambodia, regionally, internationally and domestically, especially from Europe,” he said.
Havannall stated that Cambodia saw more than 5.1 million domestic and international airport passenger arrivals in 2023, representing a 115 % increase over 2022.
In the first four months of this year, more than 2 million passengers were recorded, a 25 % increase compared to the same period in 2023, when just 1.6 million passenger arrivals were recorded.
“The construction process is proceeding as planned. As of 1 June, the construction reached 75.8 percent completion and is scheduled to commence commercially within the first semester of 2025,” he said.
Managed by Cambodia Airport Investment Co., Ltd., the project is a public-private partnership between Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) with a 90 % stake and the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation with the remaining 10 %.
This large-scale international airport, classified as Class 4F, covers 2,600 hectares of land and is divided into three phases of construction.
Phase 1 began in 2020 and will continue until 2030, Phase 2 will run from 2030 to 2050, and Phase 3 will commence after 2050.
In the first phase, it will be capable of handling a maximum of 13 million passengers and 175,000 tonnes of cargo per year. Once in operation, it will replace Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH).
AKP