Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet has officially inaugurated a major new airport serving the capital, Phnom Penh, as part of efforts to boost tourism and attract foreign investment.
Techo International Airport, a $2 billion facility located around 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of the city in Kandal province, replaces the nearly 70-year-old Phnom Penh International Airport, which had just a single runway. The new airport features three runways and began operations in September.
The project is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC).
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on Monday, Hun Manet said he hoped the new airport would become a “driving force” in attracting more visitors and investors to the country, surpassing levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport is initially expected to handle up to 13 million passengers a year, with capacity projected to rise to 30 million after 2030, and as many as 50 million by 2050.
However, optimism over a near-term recovery in tourism has been tempered by negative publicity following the recent death of a young South Korean man who was allegedly lured to Cambodia to work in one of the country’s online scam compounds.
Such centres, often accused of forcing workers to conduct large-scale online fraud, have been described as part of a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry.
The issue drew renewed international attention last week when the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the organisers of a major Cambodian network, while a federal court in New York indicted its alleged ringleader.
