New Phnom Penh International Airport Expresses Cambodia’s Ambition to Promote Economic Growth Amid COVID-19

• 23 July 2020
• Local News
• 11285 Views

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s inspection visit to the construction site of the new Phnom Penh International Airport on 22 June 2020 was more than a symbolic inspection and represented a strong endorsement of the airport project and the health of the nation’s construction sector. The prime minister also approached the visit from the perspective of the national economic situation and domestic unemployment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visit by Samdech Hun Sen provided an important opportunity to showcase progress on this flagship national infrastructure project despite any perceived delays due to COVID-19 and demonstrated that construction on the first phase is now 30% complete.

According to a report from OCIC, the project is divided into three phases. The first phase is set to complete the main part of the airport which can accommodate 13 million tourists by 2023 and will cost USD$1.5 billion. The second phase is set to be completed in 2030 and is expected to accommodate up to 30 million tourists per year. The third phase is expected to be completed in 2050 and is expected to accommodate 50 million tourists annually.

In the first phase, the main areas to be achieved by 2023 include:
(1) Passenger Terminal: The construction of the 45m high, 5-storey central building (Head House) with a ground floor area of 243, 000 square metres.
(2) Runway: 4,000 metres long and 60 metres wide.
(3) Control Tower.
(4) Construction of 46 buildings and other facilities to be used for airport operations.

To date, all these areas are 5% complete so far and are scheduled to be completed by 2022. The drilling foundations of the airport meanwhile are 95% complete.

In addition to current achievements, the flight area for the aircraft, designed by AVIC (Chinese company), finished this June and the tendering process will be launched in August this year.

Regarding the cost of the project, Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se said that “So far, we have spent US$120 million in design consulting, drilling, excavation and repairing the land quality. According to the plan, this construction will need US$208 million by the end of 2020, or equivalent to US$1.15 million per day.”

Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se explained that the current spending is dependent on local funds because foreign credit will not be immediately available. However, OCIC will do its best to not obstruct the construction works.

Besides these achievements, Samdech Hun Sen has played a crucial role in addressing the COVID-19 crisis by linking unemployment results from the crisis to the demand for labour to construct this massive project. Due to COVID-19, the economic growth rate is now down to almost minus two percent (-1.9%), and the unemployment rate is estimated to increase with about 1.76 million people unemployed. To confront this urgent situation, the construction of the new airport can attract significant labour mobilisation, which would greatly ease the national economic crisis and the burden of the government.

Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se, chairman of the Board of Canadia Group and OCIC, also pointed out that for the airport project, “According to the estimation, the peak of the workforce will increase to 20,000 per day.”

According to his speech, the current airport project has 1,102 employees, of which 283 are foreign workers. This project also has 95 foreign engineers and 110 Khmer engineers.

The project does not only help solve the unemployment crisis due to COVID-19 to construct the airport but also contributes to building Cambodian potential and human resources.

“Through the construction of this new airport, we hope to be able to train more Cambodian technicians and engineers and provide more workforce for the future development of Cambodia,” Neak Oknha added.

The construction of the airport is taking place at the best time as the airport has provided huge benefits beyond the construction expectations. Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen also pointed out why the construction of the airport has still continued during COVID-19 period especially when the aviation sector has been in decline.

“COVID-19 cannot end our planet. It is only a matter of time before the scientists discover the vaccine and development will be back to normal, just normal but in a new different way,” said PM Hun Sen.

“The new Phnom Penh International Airport gives us a glimpse of the vision for 2050, the final phase of this airport’s development. At that time, we are not sure how many of us will still be alive in 2050. But at least by 2023, we will all join the inauguration of the airport, that is ready to serve 13 million passengers,” he added.

The new Phnom Penh International Airport is constructed on a 2,600-hectare land plot located in Prek Khiev commune, Kandal Stung district, Kandal province. The project is an investment by the Overseas Cambodia Investment Company (OCIC) and is worth approximately US$1.5 billion. The airport design has been entrusted to Foster & Partners, a renowned international design firm. With the new terminal facilities and a 4F class airport designed, the new Phnom Penh International Airport will become the ninth-largest airport in the world, putting it just behind Chicago O’Hare, and larger than China’s Beijing Capital International Airport.

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