Cambodia has officially opened its new Techo International Airport (KTI) in Phnom Penh, which is set to become the country’s largest airport.
The airport, which replaces Phnom Penh International Airport, began flight services for both domestic and international passengers on September 9, 2025.
“Cambodia has actively expanded and upgraded its international airports to meet growing travel demand, enhancing connectivity for travelers,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced in a statement.
Cambodia's new Techo Int'l Airport opens today. China provided the $2bn loan for the project. Chinese firms built all of the airport except the ATC tower. A British firm designed the terminal. Surprisingly, air traffic control of the airport is outsourced to a French firm.. pic.twitter.com/KtQ8LwlPnp
— ＨＧ 阿聻 𓆣 𓇽 (@ohgkg) September 9, 2025
The airport’s inaugural flight, K6 611 operated Air Cambodia, arrived on September 9, 2025, from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in China. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, landed at 07:59 local time and was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute.
Set to become one of the world’s largest airports
Techo International Airport is located approximately 20 kilometers south of capital Phnom Penh and is Cambodia’s “newest main international gateway”, according to its website.
“I am deeply honored to welcome you to Techo International Airport (TIA),” said Pung Kheav Se, Chairman of CAIC. “The opening of the TIA not only marks a new chapter in our nation’s aviation history, but also elevates Cambodia’s presence on the global stage.”
The airport covers 2,600 hectares (6,400 acres), making it one of the largest airports in the world. In comparison, it is 25 times larger in land area than Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN).
The airport is classified as a greenfield 4F category, meaning that it has the required infrastructure and facilities to accommodate the world’s largest and heaviest passenger aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747.
Built for 50 million passengers
Although the airport is already in operation, it will undergo two more phases of development. The start of the first official operations marks the beginning of Phase 1.
According to Pung Kheav Se, Phase 1 includes a main terminal, a pier with 32 boarding gates, a runway that is 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, two parallel taxiways, and an apron that can accommodate 15 million passengers per year.
The total investment for this phase exceeded US$2 billion, mainly funded by local financial institutions and airport bonds.
Phase 2 will see the introduction of a second pier and runway, raising the capacity to 30 million passengers per year, Pung Kheav Se said. Phase 3 will involve building a third runway and a satellite terminal, increasing the airport’s total capacity to 50 million passengers annually.
About the airport
In 2019, the Royal Government of Cambodia, through the Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation (SSCA), entered into a joint venture agreement with Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) to establish Cambodia Airport Investment (CAIC).
As part of this agreement, the Cambodian government gave CAIC exclusive rights to finance, build, operate, and own the airport.
In December 2021, Prime Minister Hun Sen officially named the airport Techo International Airport during his visit to the construction site.
1 comment
Will you still be able to get visa’s on arrive, and will taxi’s will be there to take you in to town.