The Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) is set to commence its official commercial operations on October 16th. Prior to this, the airport conducted successful flight demonstrations and tests including check-in demos, passenger boarding and landing, and various other necessary procedures.
SAI features 38 berths and has the capacity to handle 7 million passengers annually. By 2040, this capacity is projected to increase to 12 million passengers per year. In addition, the airport is equipped to handle 10,000 tonnes of air cargo annually starting from 2023, which will eventually increase to 26,000 tonnes by 2040. The airport can accommodate 65,800 flights per year from 2023, with a future capacity of up to 112,700 flights annually by 2040.
The official inauguration of SAI is scheduled for December 1st, 2023, under the presidency of Dr. Hun Manet, the Prime Minister of Cambodia. The construction of Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport started in March 2020 with an investment of approximately $1.1 billion by the Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
According to a report from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Cambodia witnessed a significant year-on-year increase of 180 percent in air travel, with 3.4 million air travelers registered during the first eight months of 2023. Tourism plays a pivotal role in Cambodia’s economy as one of its four primary supporting pillars. In 2019, the country attracted 6.61 million international tourists, generating a gross revenue of US$4.92 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism.
READ MORE: https://bangkokone.news
SOURCE: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/
