PHNOM PENH: With the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport slated to open later this month, the Secretariat of Civil Aviation organized a pilot test for three flights on October 5, which was overseen by Minister Mao Havannal.

The pilot operation focused on receiving two domestic and one international flight, including a Sky Angkor Airlines flight between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, a Cambodia Airways flight from Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville-Siem Reap , and an incoming flight from Kunming, China.

The new airport is located about 51km from Siem Reap City and about 40 km from Angkor Wat, to ensure that the airport activities do not have an effect on Cambodia’s most treasured tourist site. The airport meets high-quality international standards with a terminal of over 80,000 meters squared and can accommodate more than seven million passengers annually. The airport is funded by Chinese investment under a 55-year BOT (buy-operate-transfer) agreement.