Dara Sakor International Airport Close to Operation

Dara Sakor International Airport Close to Operation

Construction of the Dara Sakor International Airport is nearly complete, with the company preparing documents to apply for airprone certification, one of the essential requirements before an airport can be given the green light.

The $350 million project is being developed by Chinese firm Tianjin Union Development Group (UDG). It will be able to handle long-haul aircraft including the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340. The project covers 4.5 hectares of land in Botum Sakor district near the Gulf of Thailand.

The news was revealed yesterday by Sin Chansereyvutha, spokesman at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation.

“The whole construction of the airport has been almost completed and at the present time the firm is working on the remaining jobs,” he said, adding that garden preparation, light and technical works at terminal halls are among areas that still need to be attended to.

“The airport is expected to commence [operations] by the end of this year or early next year,” said Chansereyvutha.

The firm is about to submit its application for airprone certification within a few months, he added.

As of now, the firm has approved the application of an airline company – local registered Lanmei Airlines – to use the airport as the company’s base, Chansereyvutha said.

“Currently, Lanmei Airlines has been approved to use the airport as an airline base and more airline firms will apply soon,” he added.

Cambodia’s three international airports welcomed 2.13 million passengers (international, domestic and transit) in 2020. This represnted a 79 percent drop compared with its 2019 figures.