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Government unveils airport plans in the Northeast

The project is included in a master plan that aims to establish new tourism products in the Northeast, a region known for its eco-tourism offer, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50597057/g ... northeast/

A new airport to support eco tourism ?

Charlie

tightenupvolume1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:02 pm A new airport to support eco tourism ?

Charlie

lol

There are decaying airports all over the country near every provincial capital. They were mostly built in the 1970s, and were still used in the 90s when roads weren't secure. As far as I know there were loads of small aircraft and large helicopters in very poor condition being flown by Russian/ Eastern European pilots. I don't think they were cheap then either. These days the strips are in a mess and they can't fly those taped-together shitboxes anymore. I predict that when they launch this service it will be ridiculously expensive, and so will be underused and then shut down within a few months.

Hmmm, it's either to encourage the Chinese tourists to visit the extinct tigers of Mondulkiri ...
newsworthy/tigers-declared-extinct-camb ... gers%20WWF
Or it's for the Australian gold mining company, Emerald Resources...
post293431.html?hilit=mondulkiri%20mining#p293431

Or, there are more hidden riches waiting to be discovered and exploited in Mondulkiri. But the construction of a new airport is certainly not for the present Sen Monorom modest backpacker off the track tourist trade.

I believe many of the old airports will reopen. It is just a matter of when.

If you look at the price of a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, local flights wont be excessively expensive.

explorer wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:07 pm I believe many of the old airports will reopen. It is just a matter of when.
If you look at the price of a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, local flights wont be excessively expensive.

Lol, sorry explorer, I clicked on karma by mistake, but I am interested to know why you believe this.

The numbers of international tourists visiting Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie and Stung Treng have taken a big dive this year. So for sure it's not tourist money that is going to reconstruct the provincial airports, at least in the north-east of Cambodia, and there are still not enough passengers to make money on regular flights even in high season. Forget the low season.

Sen Monorom airstrip is now situated in the middle of the town's main street, Banlung is the same, airstrip is right in the town centre, and Kratie has a new university built on the old airstrip. All these provincial airports would have to be rebuilt from scratch. However, I think the provinces will open up eventually if and when the Chinese or others are willing to build new airstrips for economic reasons. IMO, if it happens at all, the new airports will be developed for Chinese charter flights for Chinese passengers.

It is all very well to plan an airport, but there needs to be a demand from potential passengers. For the moment, Mondulkiri is very underdeveloped as a tourist destination. Ratanakkiri has been mentioned as a possible alternative for a new airport site, but is only slightly more developed.
There is a lot of work to be done on improving local infrastructure and possible tourist attractions in both regions, as the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president points out here.

New airport study set for 2019
By Phnom Penh Post - April 24, 2019
Mondulkiri province is a tourism destination and should have an airport, which presents huge potential.”

After the feasibility study is concluded at the end of this year, opportunities will be generated for investment in the project, Chumno [spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism] added.

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president Chhay Sivlin welcomed the study.

However, she said the Ministry of Tourism should focus on other tourism facilities in the meantime to boost the tourism sector.

“The government should focus on … shortages of hotels, restaurants and lack of entertainment infrastructure while they are studying the airport plan. If we acquire an airport while tourism facilities continue to be lacking, then it will be useless to have the airport,” she said.
In full: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ ... y-set-2019

explorer wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:07 pm I believe many of the old airports will reopen. It is just a matter of when.

If you look at the price of a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, local flights wont be excessively expensive.

They will. The only thing that brings prices down is competition, and there's not enough demand for that.

When Bangkok Airways used to be the only one flying into Siem Reap prices were ridiculous, the same for flight to Phnom Penh when Thai and Bangkok Airways held their duopoly.

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:01 pm

explorer wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:07 pm I believe many of the old airports will reopen. It is just a matter of when.
If you look at the price of a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, local flights wont be excessively expensive.

Lol, sorry explorer, I clicked on karma by mistake, but I am interested to know why you believe this.

The numbers of international tourists visiting Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie and Stung Treng have taken a big dive this year. So for sure it's not tourist money that is going to reconstruct the provincial airports, at least in the north-east of Cambodia, and there are still not enough passengers to make money on regular flights even in high season. Forget the low season.

Sen Monorom airstrip is now situated in the middle of the town's main street, Banlung is the same, airstrip is right in the town centre, and Kratie has a new university built on the old airstrip. All these provincial airports would have to be rebuilt from scratch. However, I think the provinces will open up eventually if and when the Chinese or others are willing to build new airstrips for economic reasons. IMO, if it happens at all, the new airports will be developed for Chinese charter flights for Chinese passengers.

All the above is true. Addition: The Ban Lung Airstrip is still in use but only for helicopters, it has been sold to Canadia Bank. It's in a deplorable condition as well. A new airport is planned in Oh Choum district but it's not going to happen anytime soon.