PHNOM PENH: The Techo International Airport (KTI) will stage its official inauguration ceremony on October 20, following more than a month of flight operations.
The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) confirmed Thursday (Oct 9) that the government has approved the date, noting that Prime Minister Hun Manet will preside over the ceremony.
To ensure the ceremony proceeds smoothly and that public order is preserved, the SSCA requested understanding and cooperation from all travellers passing through the airport on that day, as security is expected to be tightened.
SSCA spokesperson Sinn Chansereyvutha explained to The Post on October 9 that since the ceremony will take place on-site, some staff will be required to carry out multiple tasks, especially concerning guest transportation.
“To avoid congestion or missed flights, all passengers are advised to arrive early at the airport on October 20,” he said.
The airport spans 2,600 hectares and is a 4F-class facility, meaning it can accommodate large, wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787. The first phase of construction cost approximately US$2 billion, with the facility ranked ninth among 11 global architectural projects of 2025, based on its elegance, design and green-integrated environment.
Construction began on January 7, 2020, during the peak of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The project is being developed in three phases: Phase 1 (2025–2030), has the capacity to handle 13 million passengers per year, Phase 2 (2030–2050), will handle up to 30 million, and Phase 3 (from 2050 onward), will capacity reach 50 million.
The SSCA reported that from January to August 2025, the country’s three international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk) recorded a total of 42,582 two-way flights, an increase of almost 12 per cent over the same period in 2024. Passenger traffic reached 4.61 million, an increase of nearly 14 per cent, while air cargo traffic hit 57,720 tonnes, up over 15 per cent. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
