The unique interior of the under-construction Techo International Airport. FN
Aviation officials have laid out how a new strategic plan will advance Cambodia’s aviation sector. The Kingdom’s three international airports were connected to 34 worldwide destinations by the end of 2024.
The “Civil Aviation Strategic Plan 2025-2030” was introduced by Mao Havannal, Minister in charge of the Secretariat of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), during the secritariat’s annual meeting, held to review its past work and set its direction for 2025.
Havannal noted several positive indicators, as in 2024, the Kingdom’s international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville) were connected to 12 countries, including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Taiwan, bringing the total number of international destinations to 34 worldwide.
At present, there are 31 domestic and international airlines operating in Cambodia. The number of passengers recorded in 2024 was approximately 6.24 million, a 22% increase over 2023, while air freight totalled 77,800 tonnes, up 40%. The number of flights also rose to a total of 58,354, an increase of 14%.
He was confident that these positive trends will continue as the SSCA continues to work diligently and implement new strategies, notably the “Civil Aviation Strategic Plan 2025-2030”.
According to the SSCA, the new strategic plan features eight key points.
It will strengthen the development of air transport economics, enhance safety, enhance security and improve the efficiency of air traffic management.
In addition, it will manage civil aviation operations and services, develop infrastructure and environmental protection, strengthen international cooperation and develop human resources to enhance institutional capacity.
This year, further growth is expected thanks to the introduction of new flights by Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Phnom Penh, Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh and Emirates Airlines from Dubai to Siem Reap.
The SSCA project that the number of air travellers will reach 7.5 million, and freight transport will reach 80,000 tonnes.
In July of this year, the Techo International Airport is expected to officially commence operations. This new airport is located in Kandal and Takéo provinces, approximately 20 kilometres south of Phnom Penh.
OCIC, the company overseeing the project, has announced that the new airport will be capable of accommodating the world's largest commercial aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-800 and Airbus A380-800.
Construction of the new facility is scheduled for three phases.
Phase 1 is expected to accommodate over 15 million passengers annually by 2030. Phase 2 will allow for 30 million passengers by 2050, and in Phase 3, starting in 2050, an additional runway will be built to handle 45 million passengers per year.
