Chinese-funded intl airport opens to traffic in Cambodia

The Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Cambodia commenced operations on Monday and is expected to become a gateway to the world-famous temples of Angkor.

The first commercial flight operated by Bangkok Airways landed at the airport in the morning, receiving a warm welcome from Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Vongsey Visoth.

Speaking at the welcoming event, Visoth said the airport will contribute to the development of Cambodia's tourism, trade and economy in the long term. "It (the airport) is a testament to the fruitful cooperation between Cambodia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative," he added.

The facility is the first overseas international airport delivered under the build-operate-transfer model by Chinese enterprises. Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co — an affiliate of China's Yunnan Investment Holdings — has funded the airport, and it is operated and managed by Yunnan Aviation Industry Investment Group.

The airport commenced operations as China and Cambodia celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations, and China marks the 10th anniversary of the inception of the BRI.

"The airport is expected to help promote Cambodia's economic growth and social development. Its completion marks an achievement for Cambodia's national development strategy and the BRI," said Yang Danzhi, a senior researcher on national security at Renmin University of China.

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

The new terminal, which is bigger than Siem Reap's old international airport, borrows its architectural design from the traditional sloping roofs of Cambodia. It will be able to handle 7 million passengers annually from 2024, a significant rise from the annual 2 million handled by the old airport, according to local authorities.

Sokhom Pheakavanmony, secretary of state of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia, said the building of the new airport is an achievement for the country, as the architecture of the airport suits the local style and its operation is expected to attract more global travelers to Siem Reap.

The opening of the airport coincides with global air travel picking up after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 98.5 percent increase in passenger traffic in August compared with the same period of last year, maintaining its lead over other regions globally. The capacity climbed 85.5 percent and the load factor increased by 5.5 percentage points to 84.2 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association.

"Heading into the last quarter of the year, the airline industry is nearly fully recovered to 2019 levels of demand," said Willie Walsh, director-general of the IATA.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn