The construction of a new airport in the capital city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia is almost half complete, the government officials announced recently.
Sin Chansereyvutha, State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) spokesman and undersecretary of state said: “The work on Techo International Airport (TIA) has so far cost the developer, Cambodia Airport Investment Co Ltd (CAIC), about $617 million at the end of 2022.”
CAIC is a joint venture between Overseas Cambodia Investment Corp Ltd (OCIC) and the SSCA, with ownership set up on a 90:10 basis.
Meanwhile experts believe that the air traffic in Cambodia may not reach the 2019 levels till the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Air passengers in 2022 totalled 2.382 million, up nearly 900 % year-on-year, but just 25 % of the 2019 figure. The number of flights came to 28,900 last year, up more than 260% year-on-year, but just 28% of the 2019 total. Air cargo volumes surpassed 553.7 tonnes which, although down 22 % year-on-year, marked a 5 % rise over 2019.
The destinations with the most weekly flights to and from Cambodia are Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and some Chinese cities with the opening of Chinese borders.