New Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport opens, Old Siem Reap airport to close
After the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (IATA: SAI, ICAO: VDSA) opens in October, the existing complex serving the northwestern province will be “completely closed”, according to State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha.
SAI developer Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co Ltd (AIAI) last month affirmed its commitment to completing the main work on the first of the three phases of the 4E-category airport by end-March, and opening the establishment by October.
Angkor Int. Airport Investment (AIAI)
Amount : US $900 millions
Area : 700 hectares
Start construction : 15/03/2020
Estimated to be completed : 10/ 2023
The new $880 million Siem Reap International Airport project that begun construction in March will take three years to complete, according to the ‘building company Angkor International Airport Investment.
Siem Reap International Airport serves Siem Reap, a popular tourist destination due to nearby Angkor Wat. It is the second busiest airport in Cambodia after Phnom Penh International Airport.
The new airport – set to be the largest in Cambodia – will be located 51km South-East of downtown Siem Reap and 40km from Angkor Archaeological Park and will cover an area of around 700 hectares.
arlier reports have claimed that the airport will be able to receive about seven million passengers per year initially, 10 million by 2030, and 20 million by 2050 – corresponding to the three phases of the project. Similarly, annual cargo capacity is expected to rise from 10,000 tonnes initially to 60,000 tonnes by 2050.
For reference, in the “4E” code designation, the number “4” means that the airport’s runway is longer than 1,800m and the letter “E” signifies that the runway is designed for aircraft with a wingspan of up to but not including 65m, and landing gear where the outside edges of the outermost wheels are less than 14m apart.
The criteria are the same for a 4D-category airport – such as the existing one in Siem Reap town – except that aircraft must have a wingspan of up to but not included.