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Battambang's old airport serves as an informal market during the evenings. Charlotte Pert

The forgotten legacy of Cambodia’s abandoned airports

By Moeun Nhean

Cambodia’s aviation sector continues to grow, with airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville serving both domestic and international flights. Yet historically, this small country once had an even bigger network of domestic airports. Today these abandonded airstrips lie desolate and forgotten....

In total, at least 15 airports have been built and operated since aviation first arrived in Cambodia with Japan’s brief military occupation in the 1940s. The Japanese are said to have used forced labour to construct small air strips throughout the country, including the site that would later serve as Phnom Penh’s airport.

Some of the country’s more notable old airports include:

full https://www.phnompenhpost.com/supplemen ... d-airports

Kampong Chhnang Airport
The abandoned airport is a strangely intact remnant of Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime.

The military airport was the product of forced labor under the horrific governance of the Khmer Rouge, followers of the communist regime that ruled Cambodia during the second half of the 20th century. Construction on this military airbase began in 1977, but it was never completed—the project was abandoned in 1979 when Vietnamese forces captured Phnom Penh.

Though never used for any actual aviation, the land holds several abandoned roadways leading to shells of old buildings, water tanks, and the vast airstrips themselves. Adjacent to the runway is a small control tower-type building. The site is an impressive one, but it remains a sobering example of the atrocities committed here.

Thousands of workers died while building the airport. They were forced to work in inhumane conditions under the reign of the radical regime. Many of the laborers were members of the military who had been sent to work at the site as a punishment. Their work was overseen by engineers from China, as the Chinese government had a keen interest in helping build the airport.

Know Before You Go
While the roads leading to decaying buildings are easily accessible, there is a guard posted at the runway. They may be unconcerned by your presence, or you may not be allowed to pass. Alternately, some visitors have been required to pay a "fee." Going with someone that speaks Khmer is the least stressful way to access the site. Additionally, it appears locals might be using the control tower and additional buildings for their own purposes, so it is best to maintain a respectful distance .
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kam ... ng-airport

Above a quote about possibly going with a Khmer. The old airport at Battambang is one of them whom does strictly enforces payment. Go along with a Khmer, walk drive or ride up to the two or more military guards on the gate and offer your payment. Watch the reaction of your Khmer friend when the guard waves you in, due to it being free entry fee for westerners. But there the Khmer will be stopped to pay 1000reil.

Back in the old days every provincial center had an airport, back in the 50s/ 60s when the roads were barely existent outside of town. Later on with wars and what not going on they were the only way to get around. If you look at old guides to Cambodia in the early 90s flying was the only way to go. With the improvements in security and infrastructure it is no longer essential to fly so obviously a lot of provincial airports have decayed.

CEOCambodiaNews wrote:Kampong Chhnang Airport
The abandoned airport is a strangely intact remnant of Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime.

The military airport was the product of forced labor under the horrific governance of the Khmer Rouge, followers of the communist regime that ruled Cambodia during the second half of the 20th century. Construction on this military airbase began in 1977, but it was never completed—the project was abandoned in 1979 when Vietnamese forces captured Phnom Penh.

Though never used for any actual aviation, the land holds several abandoned roadways leading to shells of old buildings, water tanks, and the vast airstrips themselves. Adjacent to the runway is a small control tower-type building. The site is an impressive one, but it remains a sobering example of the atrocities committed here.

Thousands of workers died while building the airport. They were forced to work in inhumane conditions under the reign of the radical regime. Many of the laborers were members of the military who had been sent to work at the site as a punishment. Their work was overseen by engineers from China, as the Chinese government had a keen interest in helping build the airport.

Know Before You Go
While the roads leading to decaying buildings are easily accessible, there is a guard posted at the runway. They may be unconcerned by your presence, or you may not be allowed to pass. Alternately, some visitors have been required to pay a "fee." Going with someone that speaks Khmer is the least stressful way to access the site. Additionally, it appears locals might be using the control tower and additional buildings for their own purposes, so it is best to maintain a respectful distance .
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kam ... ng-airport

Been out there once the guards didn’t even ask when we went through and zoomed up and down the runway in an old land cruiser just for shits and giggles.

We did get stopped when we tried to go on the other side towards the “mountain”. The guard on the gate said it’s a quarry and that’s where a lot of the stone came from to build the airport. Sounded like bullshit at the time. Does anyone actually know what they are hiding over that way?

kiwiincambodia wrote: ↑Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:06 am

We did get stopped when we tried to go on the other side towards the “mountain”. The guard on the gate said it’s a quarry and that’s where a lot of the stone came from to build the airport. Sounded like bullshit at the time. Does anyone actually know what they are hiding over that way?

It's got a tunnel with rooms that were hacked out by slave labor in the Pol Pot, maybe used as a prison or a bit.

I have been there many times. The tunnel is pretty big but the times I have been there it has been flooded a few metres in. The amount of concrete used around there is incredible.
The strip was used, there is a photo somewhere online of Chinese fighter jets parked there. I have also seen photos of provincial airports with Fokker Friendships looking like provincial airports in NZ at the time.

Some runways have trees growing on them. Some could be used to land a plane in an emergency.

I think in the future, some of these will be repaired, updated and used.