Flying into clearer skies

Has Siem Reap recovered from its 2009 slump? Siem Reap International Airport (SRIA) is finally in the clear, with 2010 figures showing strong signs of recovery. The global economic meltdown had ravaged business, leaving the airport’s operator, Société Concessionaire des Aéroports (SCA), to deal with a “very adverse 2009”. Airport manager Etienne Lefort said: “SRIA relies heavily on tourist traffic – more than 95 per cent – and the steep decrease in air travel demand, especially for tourism, in end-2008 and all through 2009 had a negative effect on our airport.”

From January to July though, the trend has reversed. SRIA has seen a significant rebound of passenger traffic, which grew 27 per cent over the first seven months of 2009.

“The statistics beat our forecast and we are back at the level of 2008 when the crisis did not hit as hard as it did in 2009,” Lefort enthused. Is this year a breeze then? Should the upward trend be sustained, SCA expects overall passenger traffic through SRIA to reach 1.5 million or  more this year. The airport’s best year was 2007, when it handled 1.8 million passengers.

Lefort said: “We are out of the woods but the aviation industry is very volatile. We always have to keep our cool and not overreact – whether positive or negative – and not design strategies based on short-term action.” What are on the cards for this coming season? The number of weekly flights from October 2010 to March 2011 is expected to grow by two per cent, according to SRIA.

China Southern Airlines will up the frequency of its twice-weekly Canton-Siem Reap service to five times a week. Yunnan Airlines has requested for slots for daily Kunming-Siem Reap flights. SilkAir will add a flight to its eight-weekly service between Siem Reap and Singapore. Korean Air is putting in eight more flights – one from Pusan and seven from Incheon – bringing its Siem Reap operation to 17 flights a week. Meanwhile, Asiana Airlines will turn its twice-weekly Incheon-Siem Reap service into a six-weekly operation.

Capacity boosts will also come in the form of bigger aircraft and regular charters such as Dragonair’s Siem Reap-Hong Kong service, according to Lefort. The airport already welcomed 60 charter flights in August alone, indicating charter service could be on the rise. “It is a very positive sign and a testament of the resumption of traffic,” Lefort said. What else is new at SRIA? Even during the crisis last year, SCA continued to invest in anticipation of future growth. A new landing system that allows aircraft to land even during adverse weather conditions has been installed. The former international terminal was renovated and turned into a domestic facility.

This year and next, SCA is extending the international boarding lounge by 1,000m2, bringing the number of boarding gates to six, from the current four. A new VIP terminal is also being built. Shops in the passenger terminal will be refurbished and redesigned to feature a modern  walk-through concept. On the aeronautical side, the shoulders of the airport’s runway are being extended.

What’s next? The airport can currently handle two million passengers a year and accommodate Boeing B757, B767, Airbus A320, A321 and A330 aircraft. The latter will be introduced by Korean Air this winter season. Lefort said SRIA’s capacity could be expanded to six million passengers annually. “We will always be a step ahead (of demand) for capacity.”

Sourced=ttgasia