Construction work on Siem Reap’s new international airport will get underway next year, authorities have revealed.

The Phnom Penh Post reported Sinn Chanserey Vutha, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, as confirming this week that Chinese developer Yunnan Investment Holdings Ltd (YIHL) will commence work on the three-phase project in 2018.

The company will invest US$500 million into the first and second phases, and US$300 million in the third phase. The entire project is expected to two to three years to complete, Vutha stated.

Work has already begun to clear the 750 hectares of land needed for the airport, which will be located 50km away from Siem Reap. This will be the new international gateway for travellers to Angkor Wat.

The existing Siem Reap International Airport handled almost 3.5 million passengers in 2016, making it the busiest airport in Cambodia. It now welcomes international flights from more than 10 countries.