The Techo International Airport (TIA), which recently posted construction progress of over 80 percent, yesterday launched engineering flight inspections.
The inspections are conducted from September 8 to 12, Sin Chansereyvutha, Under-Secretary of State and Spokesman at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said.
The engineering flight inspections involve a team of aviation experts assessing the airport’s readiness to accommodate commercial air traffic, he said.
“Key areas of the inspections include runway integrity, navigational aids and communications involving technical tools installed at the airport. The tools will be checked for safety standards,” Vutha told Khmer Times yesterday.
Flight procedures (such as routes, approaches and departures) will also be checked during the inspections to ensure the adequacy of navigational support.
TIA’s construction is a milestone for Cambodia as it can boost the country’s tourism industry and improve regional connectivity.
The new airport is expected to significantly enhance the country’s international appeal and contribute to its economic growth.
After the completion of the flight inspections and subsequent regulatory approvals, TIA is anticipated to commence operations in the first half of 2025.
By the end of August, 84 percent of the airport construction was completed. The airport has an estimated construction cost of about $1.2 billion and it is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
The project to build TIA has been undertaken by CAIC, a joint venture between the Royal Government of Cambodia and OCIC. Located nearly 20 kilometres away south of Phnom Penh, it covers an area of 2,600 hectares in Kandal and Takeo provinces.
The 4F Class airport can receive long-haul transcontinental flights including giant aircraft such as Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 747-800.
Cambodia has three international airports – Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH), Sihanouk International Airport (KOS), which are under the management of the Cambodia Airport, a joint venture between Vinci Airport and Muhibbah Masteron Cambodia, and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), managed by Yunnan Investment Holding Group.
Reports from SSCA showed that the three airports together handled 3.5 million passengers in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent.
