Chinese firms to build new Phnom Penh airport

Cambodia Airport Investment Co Ltd said a total of five companies had entered the bidding process.

Yee Con Long, a member of the project steering committee of Cambodia Airport Investment, said last week that the process of designing the airport is 60 per cent complete. Construction will be divided into three phases, with the first scheduled to be completed this year.

“We will issue permits for the three contractors on January 20,” he said.

“We hope to issue a letter in July authorising the construction. If all goes as planned, the airport will be ready by July 2022, at which point it will operate on a trial basis,” he said.

He said the airport will be able to accommodate 27 million passengers by 2030, and up to 30 million by 2050.

The new Phnom Penh International Airport, a 4F-class airport, is a joint venture between local conglomerate Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) and the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).

It will be located in Kandal province and will cost $1.5 billion to build. Of that, $1.1 billion will come from loans from overseas banking institutions, while $280 million will be contributed by OCIC.

It is unclear where the remaining $120 million – which will be used as registration capital – will come from.

The project will occupy 2,600ha. OCIC will be responsible for 90 per cent of the project, while the remaining 10 per cent belongs to SSCA, according to a statement issued by Teck Reth Samrach, Council of Ministers’ Secretary of State, in 2017.

In February last year, the government formed a committee in preparation for the construction of the airport. Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Chea Sophara was appointed committee chairman and SSCA Minister Mao Havanall was named vice-chairman.

The committee consists of 21 members, with Kandal governor Mao Phirun the sole permanent member.