SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Thursday opened its newest and largest airport, a Chinese-funded project aimed at boosting the country’s main tourist attraction, the centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex in the northwestern province of Siem Reap.
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is located on 700 hectares of land about 40 km east of Angkor Wat and boasts a 3,600-metre long runway. It can handle 7 million passengers per year, with plans to expand to 12 million passengers per year from 2040.
The airport began operations on Oct. 16, with its first flight arriving from neighboring Thailand. It replaces an older airport located about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the popular tourist destination.
Thursday’s opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Hun Manet, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian and Wang Yubo, Governor of China’s Yunnan province.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hun Manet said the old airport was too close to the Angkor Wat complex and there was a risk that vibrations from passing planes could damage the foundations of the ruins.
Tourism is one of the main pillars of Cambodia’s economy. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia welcomed about 3.5 million international tourists in the first eight months of 2023, compared with about 6.6 million in the whole of 2019, the last year before the coronavirus pandemic.
“We hope that 2024 will be the beginning of progress and revitalization of Siem Reap province’s tourism sector,” said Hun Manet.
China is Cambodia’s most important ally and supporter. It exerts a strong influence over the Cambodian economy, as evidenced by the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels and casinos in the capital, Phnom Penh, and throughout the country. Chinese state-owned banks have used Chinese loans to build airports, roads and other infrastructure. More than 40% of Cambodia’s $10 billion foreign debt is owed to China.
The new airport, built at a cost of about $1.1 billion, was funded by Angkor International Airport (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China’s Yunnan Investment Holdings, under a 55-year build-operate-transfer agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese government, Yunnan Provincial Governor Wang Yubo said the opening of the airport demonstrates the deep friendship between the two peoples and will promote economic ties between the two countries.
The project is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan for Chinese companies to build transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas with loans from China’s development banks. The goal is to improve connections between China and the rest of the world and grow trade and the economy as a 21st-century version of the Silk Road trade route from China to the Middle East and Europe.
Another Chinese-financed airport is being built to serve the capital, Phnom Penh, at a cost of $1.5 billion. Officially known as Techo International Airport, the new Phnom Penh International Airport will be built on a 2,600-hectare (6,425-acre) site and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
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Associated Press writer Sophene Chan reported from Phnom Penh.
