17 flights welcomed at new Siem Reap airport on first day

17 Oct 2023 2946 | Cambodia Travel News

In a historic first, the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) kicked off commercial operations yesterday with a total of 17 commercial flight arrivals on the first day.

A host of dignitaries were at hand to welcome the first commercial flight landing, among them, Vongsey Visoth, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, Mao Havannall, Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Sok Soken, Minister of Tourism and representative of the Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.

The new achievement marks the strengthening and expansion of air travel to Siem Reap province, the celebrated abode of the world famous Angkor Wat Archeological Park. The historic occasion is significant as it marks the country’s first large-scale airport, said Visoth in the welcoming ceremony

“The official operation of Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport today is opening a new page for Cambodia to promote post-Covid-19 tourism recovery in promoting tourism in the province of Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat temple,” he said.

Adhering to international standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the regulations prescribed by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport has achieved grand success in airport flight demonstrations, tests of check-in demo, passenger boarding and landings.

With 38 berths and the ability to manage seven million passengers annually, SAI is poised to increase its capacity to a staggering 12 million passengers a year from 2040.

In terms of cargo, the new airport has the capacity to handle 10,000 tonnes of air cargo per year from 2023, increasing to 26,000 tonnes annually from 2040. In addition, the airport can accommodate 65,800 flights per year in 2023, soaring up to 112,700 flights a year from 2040.

An investment of approximately $1.1 billion by the Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. kicked off construction of the airport in March 2020.