The Chinese-funded Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is now the main gateway to one of the most popular tourist destinations - the Angkor Archaeological Complex, a UNESCO world heritage site.
On Monday morning, a flight operated by Thailand's Bangkok Airways was the first to land at the new airport, about 40 kilometers from Angkor, according to CNN.
Cambodia's New and Largest Airport Funded by China
Using the code SAI assigned by the International Air Transport Association, the new airport replaces Siem Reap International Airport (REP), which first opened in 1932 and is located just a few kilometers from the Angkor complex.
The new airport, funded by China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative at a cost of about $1.1 billion, was originally designed to handle 7 million passengers a year – 2 million more than REP – and has a 3,600m runway.
SAI is expected to increase to 12 million passengers by 2040 after construction is completed in phases. This will translate to 65,800 flights per year by 2023 and 112,700 flights per year by 2040.
According to the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, this is the first international airport abroad built by Chinese enterprises under the "Build-Operate-Transfer" model, operated and managed by Yunnan Aviation Industry Investment Group. Designed according to "4E airport" standards, it can accommodate large commercial aircraft, including many used on global long-haul routes.
Construction began in 2020, with the airport design said to be inspired by traditional Cambodian architectural styles. The airport's official website provides minimal information about the services, shops and restaurants available at the new facility, but provides a full schedule of flights arriving and departing.
Recent data released by Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism shows that the country welcomed 3.5 million international tourists in the first eight months of 2023.
According to UNESCO, many visitors come to Siem Reap to experience the Angkor complex, one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.
However, despite a 250.8% increase year-on-year, it was down 19.7% from 2019, before the country closed its borders due to the pandemic. Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism said it was on track to welcome between 4.5 and 5 million international tourists by the end of this year.
Cambodia wants new airport to boost country's economy
The Khmer Times newspaper said that with the opening of Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on October 16, Cambodia hopes to recover tourism and help promote a better tourism recovery in the future. The airport will attract new international airlines to operate direct flights to Siem Reap province, the country's tourism hub, thereby promoting tourism and foreign investment.
In Siem Reap, which relies heavily on tourism, the recent closure of The Lucky Mall came as a shock to some but the drop in tourist numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels and fewer Chinese tourists has hit the local economy.
Spanning over 400 square kilometres, the park contains the ruins of various capitals of the Khmer empire, from the 9th to the 15th centuries. But only a few sites here – namely Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon – receive many visitors.
Between January and September 2023, 191 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects were approved, up 27% from 2022. Chinese investors provided the largest source of FDI to Cambodia.
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