Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Mao Havannall has instructed domestic and international airlines, as well as other relevant service providers, to prepare for the opening of the Techo International Airport. 

According to Havannall, the airport will enter service in the first half of next year. Construction of the $1.5 billion facility, which will serve Phnom Penh, is on schedule and has reached 75.8 per cent completion. It will be a class 4F airport, capable of handling large commercial aircraft.

He led a delegation of representatives from local and international airlines on a June 6 inspection tour of the construction site.

“I advise all local and international airlines and service providers to cooperate with Cambodia Airport Investment Co., Ltd (CAIC) (the investor of the project) to prepare plans for the relocation of your operations, flights and offices to Techo International Airport as soon as you receive official notice from the SSCA,” he said.

“The SSCA is committed to implementing the ‘open skies’ policy, reinforcing aviation safety and security, and expanding domestic and international airport infrastructure. We will continue to strengthen international cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral, and further increase direct flights into the Kingdom of Cambodia, regionally, internationally and domestically, especially from Europe,” he added. 

According to Havannall, in 2023 Cambodia saw more than 5.1 million domestic and international airport passenger arrivals, indicating a 115 per cent increase over 2022.

In the first four months of this year, more than 2 million passengers were recorded, a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023, when just 1.6 million passenger arrivals were recorded.

Havannall noted that 30 airlines have resumed post-Covid flights into the Kingdom, or begun new services.