Cambodia Investment Review
The future Techo International Airport (TIA) welcomed the French Embassy for an official visit, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Jacques Pellet, French Ambassador to Cambodia, accompanied by French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE), the French-Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFC), and representatives of the French business community.
This visit gave participants an inside look at an international project, just a few months before its official opening scheduled for September 2025.
The airport is being developed by Cambodia Airport Investment Co. (CAIC), a joint venture between the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) and OCIC, who led the visit. The visit began with a presentation of the airport model, followed by a video illustrating the progress of the construction site. The main runway, which is 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, is now complete and successfully welcomed its first test flight on September 8, 2024.
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Ranked by CNN as one of the 11 architectural projects that will shape the world in 2025, TIA stands as a symbol of transformation for Cambodia, combining local expertise and international collaboration.
Read More: Techo International Airport Opening Date on September 9, Inauguration on October 20
TIA represents Cambodian expertise and the countryâs openness to international collaboration, through strong partnerships with several global leaders: Vinci Airports for operational management, Foster + Partners for the terminalâs architectural design, the French company LBL International for the terminal roof structure, and a consortium led by Lagardère Travel Retail and Newrest Cambodia, alongside their local partner HSC Group, which will operate the commercial areas including duty-free shops, restaurants, and retail outlets.
Techo International Airport Is Much More Than Just An Airport
Thierry Tea, Vice President of OCIC Group: âTecho International Airport is much more than just an airport. It is a landmark project that reflects Cambodiaâs ambitions on both a regional and international scale. We are honored to collaborate with leading French companies such as Vinci, Lagardère, and Newrest. This visit highlights the strengthening of partnerships between the French and Cambodian private sectors.â
The delegation toured the passenger terminal as well as the 118-meter-tall air traffic control tower. The terminal features 20 boarding gates and 32 jet bridges, compared to just 7 at the current Phnom Penh Pochentong Airport, which it is set to replace. This new complex represents a significant leap in terms of capacity and infrastructure. The site covers an impressive area of 2,600 hectares.
Laurene Belcour, Design Manager for CAIC – Techo International Airport: âWorking on this large-scale project alongside multicultural teams is an enriching experience. Techo International Airport embodies both Cambodia’s ambitions and the contribution of international expertise.Today’s visit perfectly illustrates this dynamic collaboration.â
Connection Between France and OCIC
This connection between France and OCIC is also reflected within OCICâs teams, which currently include around fifty French professionalsârepresenting approximately 20% of the groupâs expatriate workforceâworking in various fields such as engineering, marketing, and education.
The visit also brought together several French companies that are partners in the project or collaborate with OCIC, including: Accor, Thalias Hospitality Group, LBL International, Archetype, Scazma, Bodia, Mybodia, and Senteur dâAngkor.
Beyond infrastructure, this meeting highlights a strong bond of trust and cooperation between France and Cambodiaâa tangible relationship driven by private sector exchanges and oriented toward innovation, service, and the future.
