Chinese-invested airport in Cambodia's completes final airport flight demos

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province successfully completed final airport flight demonstrations on Thursday, Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) announced.

Three airlines took part in the airport flight demos, the SSCA said in a statement, adding that a Sky Angkor Airlines plane was flown from the Phnom Penh International Airport, a Cambodia Airways jet from the Sihanoukville International Airport, and a China Eastern Airlines aircraft from China's Kunming International Airport.

The 4E-level international airport has 38 gates and will be able to handle 7 million air passengers per annum from 2024 and up to 12 million passengers annually from 2040, the statement said.

It added that the airport can deal with 10,000 tonnes of air cargo per year from 2024 and up to 26,000 tonnes from 2040, and is able to accommodate 65,800 flights per year from 2024 and up to 112,700 flights annually from 2040.

According to the statement, the airport has been invested by the Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., an affiliate of China's Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd.

Covering a parcel of 700 hectares, the airport is located in Sotr Nikum district, about 40 km from the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park and 50 km from Siem Reap provincial town.

SSCA's Undersecretary of State and Spokesman Sinn Chanserey Vutha said the airport, with a 3,600-meter runway, can handle the landing of all kinds of aircraft and that it will commence operations on Oct. 16, with an official launching ceremony on Dec. 1.

"This is another fruit of good cooperation between Cambodia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework," he told Xinhua.