Phnom penh: The main developer of Techo International Airport (TIA) has announced plans to develop a new satellite city and a waterway within the airport compound. Speaking at the airport’s official inauguration ceremony this morning, held under the presidency of Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Lok Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se, Chairman of Cambodia Airport Investment Corporation (CAIC), a subsidiary of the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC), said that a 10-kilometre waterway will be constructed with a total investment of US$100 million.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the new waterway will connect Boeung Cheung Loung Lake, located to the south of TIA, to the Bassac River and the Funan Techo Canal, extending all the way to Kep city, Cambodia’s coastal province. This project will give TIA a competitive advantage as a multi-modal transportation hub by air, land, and sea.

In addition, OCIC has begun developing the Airport Satellite City, which includes the construction of affordable housing for thousands of TIA staff and workers who will need to relocate from their current homes near Phnom Penh International Airport. The master plan for the new city also envisions residential and commercial areas, an international exhibition centre, factories, warehouses, and a special economic zone (SEZ) aimed at promoting production and exports through TIA.

OCIC has also developed a cultural park on the landside of the airport to promote Khmer traditions and culture to both local and international visitors. Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet expressed his full support for these projects, noting that they will further boost local development and create more job opportunities for the Cambodian people.