Sihanouk celebrates completion of runway extension and airfield upgrade

Cambodia’s Sihanouk International Airport is today celebrating the completion of the extension and renovation of its runway, an upgrade that will effectively allow it to handle direct long-haul flights operated by bigger aircraft.

The airport, which serves as the gateway to the country’s main seaside resort, now boasts a 3,300m long runway, which has been strengthened and equipped with LED airfield lighting to allow it to accommodate aircraft up to the size of the B777-300ER and A350-100.

Operator, Cambodia Airports, also notes that the $58 million upgrade should reduce the airport’s carbon footprint by reducing aircraft taxiing times.

Alain Brun, CEO of Cambodia Airports, enthuses: “To sustain the development of Sihanoukville, an efficient airport system and increasing air connectivity are critical.

“Upgrading the runway capacity provides new growth opportunities as airlines can operate bigger aircraft flying from/to more remote markets such as the European one.”

Brun expects the runway to be commissioned in the last quarter of 2020, potentially allowing Sihanouk International Airport to gain the benefits of it from it as soon as passenger numbers pick up again.

The airport has been one of the fastest growing in the Asia-Pacific region in recent times with triple digit annual growth over the last five years resulting in its throughout soaring from just 94,000 passengers in 2015 to 1.6 million last year.

Sihanoukville, the city it serves, is described as a destination in the making with its deep-sea port and pristine beaches, attracting both business investors and tourists.