Aviation Sector Sees More Than $3 Billion Investment In Last 20 Years
In the last 22 years, more than $3 billion has been invested in local air transport infrastructure, according to the latest report from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).
From 1995 to 2017, the country’s three international airports received $350 million in infrastructure investment. Phnom Penh’s international airport received $125 million, while the airports in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville received $125 million and $100 million, respectively. Each airfield paid $34 million for the installation of the aeronautical information service (AIS).
Moreover, the report points out that three new international airports and two new customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) airports are currently under development in the kingdom. Siem Reap’s new international airport is being built by China’s Yunnan Investment Holdings with an investment of $880 million. The Dara Sakor International Airport, in Koh Kong province, is being developed by the Chinese firm Tianjin Union Development Group with an investment capital of $350 million. Finally, the capital will soon be serviced by a new airport, which will be built in Kandal province. The project is a joint venture between the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) and SSCA.
The CIQ facilities mentioned in the report include an airport in Koh Kong, now being renovated by Bangkok Airways with a capital of $43 million, and an airport in Poi Pet that will cost $45 million.
Sinn Chanserey Vutha, SSCA’s deputy director, said there are 300 international and 50 local flights in the kingdom every day. Forty-six airlines fly directly to the kingdom, while 25 operate code-share flights.
“The liberalization of the aviation sector has multiplied the number of routes while reducing travel times and fares. It has boosted tourism, trade, investment, and job creation,” Mr. Chansereyvutha said.
Last year, the kingdom’s three international airports welcomed 8.78 million passengers, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year, according to Nuno Costa, Cambodia Airport’s marketing and sales director. There are seven local airlines: Cambodia Angkor Air, Sky Angkor Airlines, Bassaka Air, JC International Airlines, Lanmei Airlines, Small Planet Airlines, and Cambodia Bayon Airlines.