Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet hailed the state-of-the-art Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Siem Reap province as he cut the ribbon to inaugurate it, according to AFP. He noted that it was Cambodia's first aviation facility developed under China's Belt and Road initiative and that the new $1.1 billion airport would boost tourism .
The inauguration of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport was attended by the Governor of China's Yunnan province, Wang Yubo. Cambodian officials see the new airport as a concrete result of increasingly close diplomatic ties between Beijing and Phnom Penh, according to AFP. Prime Minister Hun Manet met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September and traveled to the Chinese capital last month to attend the Belt and Road Forum.
Panoramic view of the terminal at the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Siem Reap province (Cambodia) on November 16.
"This is a new historic event for Cambodia's aviation industry. Our mission is to promote the new airport's operation and make it improve the people's living standards and boost the Cambodian economy ," Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasized.
The new airport, with a 3,600-meter runway, is located about 40 kilometers from Angkor Wat temple park, Cambodia's main tourist destination. The old Siem Reap airport is about 5 kilometers away. The new airport began commercial operations last month and is expected to handle up to 12 million passengers a year by 2040.
Prime Minister Hun Manet said the Cambodian government has spent more than 150 million USD to invest in infrastructure in Siem Reap province. He also directed competent authorities to ensure security in the area surrounding the new airport as well as in the province to do a good job of ensuring security, safety and stability for tourists.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) talks with a tourist during the inauguration ceremony of the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport in Siem Reap province on November 16.
Prime Minister Hun Manet added that during meetings with ASEAN leaders, he had negotiated to connect tourist destinations from several ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines and Thailand, with the aim of increasing direct flights to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and encouraging tourists to travel through the airport by 2024, according to DAP News .
Another giant $1.5 billion airport is also being built outside Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, scheduled to open in 2025.
Tourism is vital to Cambodia's economy, but visitor numbers have dropped from around 6.6 million before the Covid-19 pandemic to less than 200,000 in 2021. Cambodia has welcomed 3.7 million foreign tourists so far this year, according to AFP.
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