Located about 50 kms from Siem Reap town and the famed temple complex of Angkor Wat, the new US$1.1 billion international airport opened this week. Situated on 1,730 acres, the new Siem Reap air hub will initially be able to handle 7 million arrivals, later to become 12 million in phase two. The former Siem Reap international airport, which was nearer to the archaeological remains and the bustling town, has now closed.
The new airport has been built by Chinese state-owned companies under a 55 year build-operate-transfer agreement between the two countries. The two main justifications for the project were the inability of the old airport to handle some large-bodied jets and fears noise and pollution from the old hub were damaging the foundations of the Angkor Wat…
