Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
CAMBODIA. Our latest images come from Techo International Airport – Cambodia’s largest aviation infrastructure project and one of the world’s biggest airports by land area – which opened today (9 September). The project’s completion was hailed as a “historic milestone” by authorities.
The arrival of the first commercial flight, operated by Air Cambodia, was greeted with a traditional water salute.
The airport, located south of Phnom Penh, was developed by Cambodia Airport Investment Company (CAIC) – a subsidiary of Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) in joint venture with the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.
With capacity for 13 million passengers annually in its first phase, the airport “is set to transform Phnom Penh into a growing aviation hub, strengthening tourism, expanding trade flows and enhancing Cambodia’s international connectivity”, said an airport company statement.
The terminal, designed by British firm Foster + Partners, blends Khmer-inspired aesthetics with modern sustainability, featuring bamboo-patterned domes that evoke traditional weaving.
At the heart of the terminal, a 9m-high Buddha statue in the Abhayamudra pose greets passengers with a signal of peace and protection.
CAIC has appointed leading partners, including Vinci Airports, Lagardère Travel Retail, Newrest, International Airport Advertising Corporation and Singapore Airlines Engineering Company, to manage operations, retail, catering and aircraft maintenance.
“Welcoming the first passengers at Techo International Airport is a defining moment,” said OCIC and CAIC Chairman Pung Kheav Se. “It creates new opportunities for Cambodia – for visitors, businesses and investors – and marks the beginning of a new chapter for our country.”
The airport’s launch also coincides with the 25th anniversary of OCIC, the majority shareholder of CAIC, developer of KTI and one of Cambodia’s leading conglomerates. The company’s interests span real estate, infrastructure, healthcare, education and industrial zones, and it has played a major role in Cambodia’s economic transformation for more than two decades – with the airport representing its most ambitious project to date.
The airport statement concluded: “Techo International Airport stands as both a proud emblem of Cambodia’s identity and a gateway to the future, ready to welcome the world as Phnom Penh strengthens its position in global air networks.” ✈
