PHNOM PENH: Yunnan Inv. Group, the contractor for the new Siem Reap International Airport, has said that the airport will launch for a 3-month test trial in June.

Addressing the Prime Minister of Cambodia at the Peace Palace on Monday afternoon, 6 March 2023, the CEO of Yunnan Inv. Group, Liu Minglin, said that 86% of the airport's construction is now complete, meaning the airport will be ready for test launch in June.

He also confirmed that the official launch will take place in October, adding that he wishes to make a promotional video for the airport to attract more tourists and investors to Cambodia.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his approval of the construction progress and the idea of promoting the airport to the international community.

He noted that this new airport is the first in Siem Reap to accommodate large aircraft.

The Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is located in Tayek Commune, Sot Nikum District, Siem Reap Province, approximately 51 km from Siem Reap City, and about 40 km from Angkor Wat. This distance ensures that aircraft take offs and landings will not adversely affect the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and the surrounding architecture.

Construction of the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport began on 15 March 2020, and was scheduled to take a total of 36 months or three years to complete, at a cost of about US $880 million.

The new airport has a 4E classification, a 3,600-meter long runway (with a 45 meter width), 38 gates and a total terminal area of 80,000 square meters, which can accommodate up to more than 7 million passengers a year. Constructed under a 55-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement, once the private company has completed its operation, the airport will be handed over to the Royal Government of Cambodia.