The $200 million Dara Sakor International Airport in Koh Kong province, which was scheduled to open in the middle of this year, has been delayed due to unfinished construction.
The company informed that it needed more time to finish all remaining works, Sinn Chansereyvutha, undersecretary of state and spokesman of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said yesterday.
The project was also postponed in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic made it difficult for the company’s technicians and specialists to travel to and from Cambodia, severely affecting the developers.
“The opening of the airport has been delayed because the developer has not yet completed the development and completion of relevant documents on aviation safety,” said Chansereyvutha.
The high cost of transporting goods and the longer shipping times are major factors that have exceeded expectations, he said.
The airport in Koh Kong province’s Botum Sakor district was scheduled to conduct flight trials in July this year.
The Chinese firm Tianjin Union Development Group (UDG) is developing a project that covers 4.5 hectares of land.
The airport will be able to accommodate wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340.
Although the opening of the airport has been delayed, it will not have a negative impact on the aviation sector or the airline’s flight operations.
Cambodia currently has three airports that are managed by Cambodia Airports. Three new international airports are under construction, including the Techo International Airport in Kandal province, Angkor Siem Reap International Airport in Siem Reap province, and Dara Sakor International Airport in Koh Kong province.
The government is also planning to build domestic airports in Battambang and Mondulkiri provinces.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
