He continued by saying that contractors started the project then, but the province now lacked the necessary funds to complete it. It is a decade since the last aircraft landed on the mud strip that passes for a runway at Mondulkiri Airport.
In the intervening years, various proposals to turn the airport to good use have fallen by the wayside. One of these was by a local tycoon who wanted to build apartment blocks on the site.
Svay Sam Eang explained that it was not practical to reopen Mondulkiri Airport as it was in the middle of town and also did not have a tarmac runway or even anything remotely resembling a modern passenger terminal. He noted that only helicopters and small aircraft had used the airport when it was open.
The deputy-governor added that it only cost around US$10 to get to Phnom Penh by bus or shared taxi and most travellers opted for this as it was cost effective. He finished off by saying that if Mondulkiri Province should need an airport in the future, a site in the rural area of Or Reang had been earmarked.
Cambodia town lacks funds to turn disused airport into park
News in Asia
The deputy-governor of Cambodia’s Mondulkiri Province says funding from the central government is needed to finish transforming a disused airport into a park. Svay Sam Eang said that a year ago the governor received official approval from prime-minister Hun Sen to turn the airport land into a public park.