Chapter 04

History of Airports in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Phnom Penh’s Airports Through the Years

Les aéroports de Phnom Penh au fil des années

  1. 1924 – 1941Indochina Aviation Airfield
  2. 1941 – 1945Pochentong Airfield
  3. 1959 – 2003Pochentong International Airport
  4. 2003 – 2025Phnom Penh International Airport
  5. 2025 – PresentTecho International Airport

Phase 1: Airports in CambodiaBefore 1950

Before Cambodia developed a network of commercial airports, Pochentong began as a small airfield under French administration. The airfield formed part of French Indochina’s emerging aviation network, supporting military transport and the delivery of official documents. During the Japanese occupation of Cambodia from 1941 to 1945, Pochentong Airfield came under Japanese control and was used as a military airfield.

A single-engine military aircraft on the airfield
(Source: WWIIAfterWWII)
Biplanes in flight
Air Orient poster, summer 1933: Europe, Orient, Far East, by air

Phase 2: Pochentong International Airport

After Cambodia gained independence in 1953, King Norodom Sihanouk directed the construction of new airfields and improvements of existing aviation facilities, including Pochentong Airport. That same year, Pochentong emerged as Cambodia’s primary international gateway. In 1963, pioneering Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann designed the original VIP arrival pavilion as a tent-like tensile structure. Three years later, it was replaced by a fan-shaped reinforced-concrete canopy designed by French architect-engineer Guy Lemarchands for President Charles de Gaulle’s state visit to Cambodia in 1966.

President Charles de Gaulle walking between rows of people under a ceremonial parasol
French President Charles de Gaulle made a historic official visit to Cambodia from August 31 to September 2, 1966
A motorcade of jeeps and motorcycles in front of the terminal
Officials dressed in white greeting guests at the airport
An airliner on the apron at Pochentong, with the control tower behind
Royal Air Cambodge timetable
Pochentong's terminal and canopy, in a sepia photograph
Air France poster: Europe–Orient, Extrême-Orient
Royal Air Cambodge poster

Phase 3: Airports during the Democratic Kampuchea Regime

During the Democratic Kampuchea regime from 1975 to 1979, the airport was completely closed to international travel, except for a limited number of direct flights from Beijing and Pyongyang. It also served as Phnom Penh’s only entry and exit point for supplies transported by air.

Phase 4: Recovery of the Aviation Sector

After 1979

Passengers on the apron below Pochentong's control tower
The front of Pochentong International Airport
The airport and its runway from the air
Passengers boarding a Vietnam Airlines aircraft
The terminal and control tower across the apron
The terminal's red roofs beside the control tower

Since 1979, Pochentong International Airport has undergone a gradual process of reopening and redevelopment to meet the growing demands of domestic and international aviation.

In 1995, the Royal Government of Cambodia signed a 20-year concession agreement with Société Concessionnaire de l’Aéroport (SCA), also known as Cambodia Airports, to develop and operate Pochentong International Airport. The company was 70% owned by VINCI and 30% by Muhibbah Masteron Cambodia, a Malaysian-Cambodian joint venture.

The development included a new runway, a parking apron, a passenger terminal, and aviation systems.

The entrance of Phnom Penh International Airport
Looking down the runway from the air
Inside the passenger terminal

Phase 5: A New Era for the Airport

Pochentong International Airport was renamed Phnom Penh International Airport in 2003. On 8 September 2025, the airport ended operations, and all scheduled flights were transferred to Techo International Airport the following day.

The terminal's garden hall, in evening light
The terminal canopies at night
Aircraft on the apron
The check-in hall