Overview
- Prime Minister Hun Manet inaugurated Techo International on October 20 following a September 9 soft opening, a roughly $2 billion three-runway project 30 kilometers south of the capital that replaces the nearly 70-year-old Phnom Penh International Airport, now closed.
- The airport is handling 31 airlines on 44 direct routes with about 130 daily aircraft movements and 13,500 passengers a day, with Etihad’s Abu Dhabi service launched October 4, Air Cambodia’s Tokyo route starting October 26, and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul from December 10.
- Developed by CAIC/OCIC with operations by VINCI Airports, the terminal by Foster + Partners uses Khmer-inspired architecture and features a 9-meter Abhayamudra Buddha statue and more than 200 hand-carved stone works.
- Initial capacity is 13 million passengers annually with phased growth targeted to 30 million after 2030 and up to 50 million by 2050, alongside an airport-city plan and a future rail link.
- Commercial activation is underway as Lagardère Travel Retail begins a 12-year contract covering duty free, fashion, travel essentials and dining across roughly 40,000 square feet, emphasizing local brands and a sense of place, while near-term tourism outlooks are tempered by scam-center-related advisories and recent regional tensions.