PHNOM PENH: Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport has successfully completed an airport flight demonstration for non-commercial flights and is set to be officially launched in mid-October.

The final airport flight demonstration was held on Oct. 5 under the inspection from H.E. Mao Havannall, Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation with the participation of relevant officials and airports and airline representatives.

According to a press release issued this afternoon, three airlines joined the test – Sky Angkor Airlines from Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia Airways flying from Sihanoukville International Airport, and China Eastern Airlines from China's Kunming International Airport.

“The non-commercial flight demonstration of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport was smooth and successful,” the press release said.

The demonstration is aimed to ensure that Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is technically qualified and provides ground services in accordance with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the regulations of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation before starting to handle many national and international commercial flights from Oct. 16, 2023, onward, it added.

“This Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is a new infrastructure achievement that will contribute to the strengthening and expansion of air and passenger services from Cambodia to remote and regional areas with medium and large aircraft such as Airbus 350, Airbus 330, or Boeing 787-900,” said H.E. Mao Havannall.

The Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is located in Tayek commune, Sotr Nikum district, about 51 kilometers from Siem Reap provincial city and 40 kilometers from Angkor Wat Temple.

The new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport will have 38 berths and will be able to handle 7 million air passengers a year in the first phase, and the complete infrastructure will allow the capacity to serve 20 million passengers annually from 2040.

Additionally, the airport can handle 10,000 tonnes of air cargo per year from 2023 and 26,000 tonnes from 2040 and can handle 65,800 flights per year from 2023 to 112,700 flights annually from 2040.

Construction of Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport began in March 2020 with an investment of approximately US$1.1 billion.