Coastal airport to be renovated

Sihanouk International Airport will be renovated, with the expansion of the airport’s runway and terminal building aimed at increasing its capacity to handle up to 500,000 passengers a year. The current airport terminal dates back to 2007 when just two million foreign tourists a year visited Cambodia and only a trickle of air traffic served Sihanoukville’s airstrip. Last year more than 4.8 million tourists visited the Kingdom, with throughput at the coastal airport growing 118% to 94,630 passengers. In October, the airport broke the 100,000 passenger a year mark for the first time and appeared on course to serve a projected 150,000 passengers in 2016. According to Khek Norinda, communications director of Cambodia Airports, the French company that holds a concession to operate the country’s three international airports through 2040, the renovation work is being carried out as part of a $2bn investment to develop the three international airports.  According to the airport operator, the terminal and runway expansion are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017 or early 2018. (Source: Phnom Penh Post)