PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Commercial operations began Monday at Cambodia’s newest and biggest airport, designed to serve as an upgraded gateway to the country’s major tourist attraction, the centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex in the northwestern province of Siem Reap. A Bangkok Airways flight from Thailand was the first to land, with 16 additional flights scheduled for the first day of operations at the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport. The new airport can handle 7 million passengers a year, with plans to augment it to handle 12 million passengers annually from 2040. Another Chinese-funded airport is being constructed at a cost of $1.5 billion to serve the capital Phnom Penh. The new Phnom Penh international airport, formally known as the Techo International Airport, is set on 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) and scheduled for completion in 2024.

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Persons: Vongsey Vissoth, Hun Manet Organizations: —, Bangkok Airways, Angkor International Airport, Ministry of Tourism, Phnom, Techo Locations: PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Wat, Siem Reap, Thailand, Angkor, Angkor Wat, China, Tourism, Phnom Penh