CAMBODIA. Techo International Airport – Cambodia’s largest aviation infrastructure project and one of the world’s biggest airports by land area – was inaugurated today (20 October) by Prime Minister Hun Manet. He saluted the opening as an achievement reflecting Cambodia’s long-term development vision.
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. The soft opening came on 9 September, as reported.
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 the airport company.
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.
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.
*Watch out for an interview with Lagardère Travel Retail on this milestone project, coming shortly. ✈
