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Work on Phnom Penh’s new airport, officially known as the Techo
International Airport, began in 2019, covering an area of 2,600
hectares (6,425 acres) located at the border of Kandal and Takeo
provinces, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of the capital.
“I think the TIA airport here is going to be launched in the
soft opening in July 2025, and we believe that so many
passengers are waiting and they really want to come in to see
this new airport,” said Charles Vann, director of the airport’s
project steering committee, during a media tour.
The new airport is a $1.5 billion joint venture between the
Cambodian government and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corp.
It's being built by the China Construction Third Engineering
Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
The architects for the airport are the British firm Foster +
Partners, whose website says its “design embodies a strong sense
of place" and is "responsive to the tropical climate.” The
terminal building sits under what is described as a single
overarching roof canopy that is a lightweight steel grid shell,
“with an innovative screen that filters daylight and illuminates
the vast terminal space.”
Construction is being undertaken in three phases. Initially, the
airport is expected to be capable of handling up to 13 million
passengers a year, with capacity increased up to 30 million
passengers after 2030, and then up to 50 million passengers in
2050.
It will be the second major airport in Cambodia to open in the
space of two years. In 2023, the Chinese-financed Siem
Reap-Angkor International Airport began operations in the
northwestern province of Siem Reap, about 40 kilometers (25
miles) east of the centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex, the
country’s major tourist attraction.
Tourism is one of the main pillars supporting Cambodia’s
economy. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia received
around 6.7 million international tourists in 2024, a 23%
increase over 2023.
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