A NEW international airport will be built at Siem Reap to handle projected increases
in tourist numbers, said the Secretary of State for Civil Aviation, Mao Havanall.
Two sites are being assessed, in Sot Nikum and Chi Kreng districts, for the government
by Bangkok Airways, Parson Group (US) and Sumitomo Group (Japan). The Government
needs to find investors to cover the $184 million cost estimate.
The first stage would require a runway 2,500 meters long and 45 metres wide; in the
second stage this would be lengthened to 3,000 meters to handle Boeing 767s and Airbus
A330s.
The project would probably be developed under a "build, operate, transfer"
agreement, similar to Phnom Penh International. Under this contract with Cambodia
Airport Management Services (CAMS) the French operating partner Société
Concessionaire de l'Aeroport (SCA) agreed not to operate at any other location in
Cambodia for 10 years from 1995, and to transfer ownership to the government after
25 years (2020).
Havanall said studies were also being done for a small international airport at Poipet
to service the casino traffic from Thailand. He said casino interests had made an
approach to the government.
He confirmed that the Government was looking at setting up a new national flag carrier
in a joint venture with Phuket Airways.
