John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 2:42 pm

orussey98 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:34 pm

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:56 am
You can rest assured there were naysayers back when Singapore, Los Angeles or any other city was starting off, but no one really remembers those guys.

Not the same population, not the same skills, hard to say where it's going.
It's been more than 30 years the country is in peace and still no electricity 365 days a year, no good road , no good sewer system, etc...

Unless you bet on massive immigration from the north (China, Japan, Korea), it's still quite hard to see it as a future Singapore/Los Angeles

Where are you getting more than 30 years from? It's just over 20.

I give you 25 years. Last price.

I guess the bitching is not about the new airport itself, which will probably be oversized for years to come and will never see any A380 land there except for an odd one form China Southern picking up Chinese criminals.

The real bitching is about the fact Phnom Penh airport as it is now is pretty convenient, except for the trip to an back. And if the trips to the old airport are inconvenient, I can only imagine what the trip to the new airport will be like..... I will probably try it once, miss m y flight, and then switch to Siem Reap airport.....

The number of years wasn't really my point but about the possibility that Phnom Penh could become Singapore or Los Angeles city like.

My point is you need people to build an economy, people with skills, an industry, high value products, etc..

Apart money flooding in the country for speculation or laundering (both in real estate), I don't see any high value production here.

Impossible to have the airport ready in three years. Preparing the land to pour the runways alone takes more than two years...

orussey98 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:17 pm The number of years wasn't really my point but about the possibility that Phnom Penh could become Singapore or Los Angeles city like.

My point is you need people to build an economy, people with skills, an industry, high value products, etc..

Apart money flooding in the country for speculation or laundering (both in real estate), I don't see any high value production here.

Apart from this, to me it seems most of the growth in the last few years comes from Chinese airlines connecting china to Phnom Penh. Hardly any growth from other destinations. A thin basis to build a new multi billion dollar airport capable to handle the A380 and 747-800 (both nearly out of production....).

On the other hand, I'm not used to running / starting businesses involving multi billions of investment.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:29 pm

orussey98 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:17 pm The number of years wasn't really my point but about the possibility that Phnom Penh could become Singapore or Los Angeles city like.

My point is you need people to build an economy, people with skills, an industry, high value products, etc..

Apart money flooding in the country for speculation or laundering (both in real estate), I don't see any high value production here.

Apart from this, to me it seems most of the growth in the last few years comes from Chinese airlines connecting china to Phnom Penh. Hardly any growth from other destinations. A thin basis to build a new multi billion dollar airport capable to handle the A380 and 747-800 (both nearly out of production....).

On the other hand, I'm not used to running / starting businesses involving multi billions of investment.

All airports being planned and built in Cambodia are dual use.

Felgerkarb wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:35 pm

Kammekor wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:29 pm

orussey98 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:17 pm The number of years wasn't really my point but about the possibility that Phnom Penh could become Singapore or Los Angeles city like.

My point is you need people to build an economy, people with skills, an industry, high value products, etc..

Apart money flooding in the country for speculation or laundering (both in real estate), I don't see any high value production here.

Apart from this, to me it seems most of the growth in the last few years comes from Chinese airlines connecting china to Phnom Penh. Hardly any growth from other destinations. A thin basis to build a new multi billion dollar airport capable to handle the A380 and 747-800 (both nearly out of production....).

On the other hand, I'm not used to running / starting businesses involving multi billions of investment.

All airports being planned and built in Cambodia are dual use.

1. For aircraft operations.
2. Money laundering?

orussey98 wrote:
Not the same population, not the same skills, hard to say where it's going.
It's been more than 30 years the country is in peace and still no electricity 365 days a year, no good road , no good sewer system, etc...

Unless you bet on massive immigration from the north (China, Japan, Korea), it's still quite hard to see it as a future Singapore/Los Angeles

You're shortsighted then, and maybe even have a touch of the colonial mindset we all exhibit at times. The variables you mention aren't static. The skills will improve, the infrastructure will as well, and so will the city's skyline and needs. I'm not saying the road ahead will be easy or that Phnom Penh will be home to great movies or world renown attractions, but it'll change, and it'll change fast. Look at pictures of your hometown in 1960 and now. Look at pictures of any other city, or look at any city from a developing nation 1980 and now. Very few places have actually shrunk.

You mention Japan, Korea and China. People laughed at the Japanese when they started manufacturing consumer goods and cars in the 50s and 60s. People then laughed at the Koreans when their cars started coming into Western markets in the 80s and 90s. No one laughs at either of their offerings now. Same is happening as we speak in regards to China. Google a photo of Shanghai 1990 and now and witness the difference. Cambodia is a small country with few natural resources and a relatively small population, so it'll never compare in the same way to the aforementioned countries, but to say that the capital city will never make use of a new airport is quite shortsighted. There will be drops like Thailand and others witnessed in 97, but developiment will keep chugging along, standards of living will increase all across the country and the place will come more be unrecognizable in ten more years.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:18 am ...

The current runway is 3000 metres, or 9842 feet. Is this a long runway? It's long enough for both a 787 Dreamliner and even a 747!
...

So, why does Cambodia need a new airport? Phnom Penh is little more than a regional airport; you still cannot even get a DIRECT flight to Hanoi FFS, the capital city of a neighbouring country. So who do they think is going to start flying A380's and 747's here just because they have a new shiny airport?

Technically you can land as the runway is long enough but it's not just the length of the runway that counts. It's also the width of runway, taxiways, size of apron etc.

Also like others have said, it's about future proof. At current airport you cannot extend the terminal much anymore, there is hardly any space for parking (car or airplane), taxiways, offices, cargo handling and not talking about having second a runway. It's ok for now and maybe for next 5-10 years but after that it's going to be too small. Maybe Cambodia doesn't need airport suitable for 747's but it definitely needs a new airport that has more space around for everything else. You have to remember that air cargo has grown a lot in last few years as well. And when building new airport the difference do you build 4E or 4F is not that huge moneywise.

And they do added more connections each year. And not just to China. This year new route to Jakarta was started for example.