Dara Sakor Airport Runway Completed, First Test Flight Scheduled for Q4 2021

• Samphors Sao
• 4 February 2021
• Local News
• 10281 Views

Construction on the runway at the controversial China-backed Dara Sakor Aiport in Koh Kong has been completed and the first test flight will run in Q4 this year.

Deputy Koh Kong Governor Mr Sok Sothy said on 04 January that though the construction of the runway is 100% complete, there are still some remaining works such as traffic lights and sign installation.

Meanwhile, the office and passenger terminal construction is about 70% complete.

“Based on the initial plan, we wanted to launch the first test flight since 2020 or early 2021, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will have to postpone it slightly until the fourth quarter of 2021,” said Mr Sothy.

The airport is being developed by the Union Development Group (UGD). According to a prior announcement, UGG is injecting US$200 million to build a 60m-wide, 3,200-metre long runway and a new terminal. Once complete, the airport will be able to handle large aeroplanes such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A360. (Read more)

The Dara Sakor Airport is a part of the multi-billion-dollar Dara Sakor Project. The United States recently imposed sanctions on the company over alleged severe human rights abuse and corruption, based on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. (Read more)

The project has been criticised for being built to serve the Chinese military due to its massive size. However, the Cambodian government has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming the project is only being built for tourism.

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