PHNOM PENH: The newly-commenced Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) recorded a high of daily air passengers of some 2,600, according to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.

The airport recorded 17 flights or 34 flights movement since the commencement of operations last week, SSC’s Under Secretary of State H.E Sin Chansereyvutha said on Tuesday.

“After the commencement, the number of air passengers has increased significantly to 2,600, remarkably increasing from over 1,000 passengers on the same numbers of 17 flights (at old Siem Reap International Airport),” he said.

The increase in the number of air passengers could be of the high season starting from October with about 80 percent of the total aircraft seats of each airline occupied. H.E Sin Chansereyvutha, who is also SSCA’s spokesman, said.

Currently, there are seven airlines operating at the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, six foreign airlines and a local airline.

Located in Tayek commune, in Sotr Nikum district, and stretching 50 kilometers from Siem Reap provincial city, the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport commenced operations on Oct. 16.

As a 4E-level international airport that can accommodate long-distance flights from across the globe with a 3,600-meter runway and 38 berths, SAI is able to manage seven million passengers annually and is expected to increase its capacity to a staggering 12 million passengers a year from 2040.

In terms of cargo, the new airport has the capacity to handle 10,000 tonnes of air cargo per year from 2023, increasing to 26,000 tonnes annually from 2040. In addition, the airport can accommodate 65,800 flights per year in 2023, soaring up to 112,700 flights a year from 2040.

The SAI has been invested by the Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., an affiliate of China’s Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd with a total investment of US$1.1 billion.