Air Transport

AIR TRANSPORT










Royal Air Cambodge


Air Transport Cambodia has ten airports, including Phnom Penh International Airport (Pochentong Airport) and Siem Reap Airport, the gateway to Angkor Wat, which serves international flights.

The Société Concessionnaire de l’Aéroport (SCA) is a special purpose company that holds a 25-year concession (from 1995) from the Government of Cambodia to manage and operate the Pochentong and Siem Reap Airports. Some parts of the operation of the two airports are delegated to Cambodia Airport Management Services Limited under an operating agreement with SCA. A major improvement program in 2003-07 is planned, funded in part by the International Finance Corporation:

• US$23.2 million to upgrade the facilities of Pochentong Airport (runway lengthening and widening, construction of a parallel taxiway, expansion of apron and warehouse facilities and modernization of the airport operating equipment)
  
  
  
• US$23.9 million for Siem Reap Airport (major repairs of the runway and taxiway, extension of the taxiway and aprons, construction of a new terminal building, modernization of the airport operational equipment and construction of a new cargo warehouse).

* War and continuing fighting severely damaged Cambodia's transportation system — a system that had been inadequately developed in peacetime. The country's weak infrastructure hindered emergency relief efforts and created tremendous problems of procurement of supplies in general and of distribution. Cambodia received Soviet technical assistance and equipment to support the maintenance of the transportation network.

The country possesses twenty-six airfields, of which only thirteen were usable in the mid-1980s. Eight airfields had permanent-surface runways. Pochentong International Airport near Phnom Penh is the largest airport; it also serves as the main base for the renascent Cambodian Air Force (see Kampuchean, or Khmer, People's Revolutionary Armed Forces, ch. 5). Cambodia opened a new Soviet-built airfield at Ream, Sihanoukville International Airport in late 1983, which never saw commercial air traffic until now. There are additional secondary airports in Siem Reap and in Battambang.

• Air Kampuchea was established in 1982 and flew only one route-- from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In 1984 commercial air service was inaugurated between Phnom Penh and Hanoi with the arrival at Hanoi International Airport of the Kampuchean Civil Aviation Company's (AKASCHOR) first flight. Since then, there has been regular air service from Phnom Penh to Hanoi, Vientiane, and Moscow.

Transportation In Cambodia

Transport in Cambodia

AIDS Awareness Month: Combating HIV/AIDS in Cambodia Transport
Roads and Highways
Urban Transport
Rural Transport
Railways
Inland Waterways
Ports and Shipping
Air Transport

As a post-conflict country, Cambodia is struggling to rebuild many of the economic, social, and physical foundations needed to ensure future growth and development. Since 1992 the World Bank has provided the country with technical expertise, more than US$645.2 million in loans and grants, and about US$90 million in trust funds to support efforts to reduce poverty and promote economic growth.

The Bank contributed to the building or rebuilding of rural roads (a major strategic development priority of the Government), and helped to establish guidelines for future transport sector reform through the Road Rehabilitation Project. A transport strategy adopted in 2002 provided some clarification regarding management roles for national, provincial, and rural roads. This has enhanced coordination between the relevant government ministries.
Despite these improvements, the quality of transport infrastructure remains a serious constraint to growth. A road maintenance fund was established in 2002 based on revenues from tax on fuel but an effective mechanism for management of the funds has yet to be established.

It is important that Cambodia continue to invest in its transport infrastructure, and that it looks at methods for ensuring adequate financing and effective delivery of services.
Data on road network condition

Roads and Highways

Cambodia’s road network measures approximately 38,257 km including 4,757 km of national roads and 5,700 km of provincial roads under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and 27,800 km of tertiary roads under the responsibility of the Ministry of Rural Development.

The network has a major effort at rehabilitation since the mid 1990s. Road condition surveys in 2005 indicate that 40 percent of the network is in good and fair condition, 52 percent in poor condition, and eight percent in bad condition.

Cambodia’s road transport industry is still embryonic and inefficient, reflecting the poor state of the network, years of civil disturbance and comparatively low levels of transport demand. The fleet is fragmented, with only a few groups professionally managed and capable of investing in modern equipment. Most goods are carried on old, overloaded trucks with low levels of utilization. In more isolated regions, goods are transported mainly by motorcycle and animal-drawn vehicles.

There were 84,000 four-wheel vehicles and 248,000 motorcycles registered in 2003, but unregistered vehicles and motorcycles are reported to account for about 20 and 30 percent of the respective fleets, bringing the total to just over 100,000 four-wheel vehicles (about 102,810 light vehicles and 17,880 heavy vehicles) and 326,310 motorcycles. At 0.8 four-wheel vehicles per 100 people, vehicle ownership is very low.


The Cambodia urban transport infrastructure was severely damaged and/or neglected during the years of fighting. In Cambodia, all urban transport is road based and traffic volumes are growing rapidly, especially in Phnom Penh and Siam Reap. Public transport is limited to buses as there are no subways in the country.

There is no formally adopted road and road transport policy in Cambodia, and this particularly affects urban road transport. Phnom Penh has emerging congestion problems and there is a need for a strategic transport policy to set the proper framework. This needs to consider factors such as facilities for non-motorized traffic, the role of rail, and private sector involvement, especially in the area of establishing road tolls. There is also a need to ensure sufficient finance for urban road maintenance as well as paving unpaved roads in urban areas.

Rural Transport

Road traffic levels are also low, suppressed by poor road conditions, low incomes, and a vehicle fleet expanding from a low base. Traffic was grown rapidly since the late 1980’s as these constraints are being removed.

Railways

The Royal Cambodian Railway comprises two single-track main lines of meter gauge which carries passenger and freight traffic. With little traffic using the rail lines, individuals run their own private 'bamboo trains' which are small locally made units for carrying limited passengers and freight.

The rail distance from Phnom Penh to Bangkok was 655 km, however, the line is no longer completed. The Northern line runs from Phnom Penh for 385 km to the Thai border at Poipet. Since 1961, there has been a 15 km gap between the Poipet station and the Thai station of Aranyaprathet. Since the early 1970s the last 48 km from Sisophon to the Thai border has been disused. The Northern line was originally intended to be part of a through route linking Bangkok with Saigon, however, the Cambodia part of the Phnom Penh-Saigon section was never started.

The Southern line connects Phnom Penh to the port of Sihanoukville, about 253 km from Phnom Penh. The line was built between 1960 and 1969 but is not in very good condition at present.



Inland Waterways

Inland waterways include the Mekong and Sab rivers, and Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh is some 100 km from the Vietnam border by river, but the bends of the river prevents the passage of vessels more than 110m long.
Boats up to 150 tonne capacity can be used as far as Kratie. Larger boats can be used at high water. Between Kratie and Stung Treng 50 tonne boats can pass without difficulty in the rainy season but at low water levels the rocky conditions limit passable to smaller vessels of up to 20 tonnes. Above Stung Treng to Veunkham just across the Lao border only small boats can pass some 10-15 tonnes at low water and perhaps 50 tonnes a high water.
In recent years it has been reported that the flows in the Mekong river have been decreasing. This is further constraining river transport on this important artery.

Ports and Shipping

Constructed in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Sihanoukville is the main deep water sea port. The road links between Sihanoukville and the rest of the Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh, have been improved in recent years which have increased the effectiveness of the port activities. Phnom Penh’s port is on the Mekong River so access is through the delta in Vietnam and through Ho Chi Minh City.

Cambodia’s third port is Koh Kong which is situated near the Thailand border. This is only used by smaller vessels.

Farm

Khmer

Cambodia people 75% mostly plant farm.

Cambodia comprises a variety of peoples who are commonly called "Khmer." Many Khmer fled to America in the mid 1970s as a result of the warfare and persecution inflicted by the Khmer Rouge. New Entry

works with Khmer immigrants on its farm sites in Dracut.

Farmer Profile

Visoth Kim

Mr. Visoth, a 2004 graduate of the New Entry training program, harvests produce at his farm in Dracut, MA.

Mr. Visoth Kim worked on his family's farm while growing up in Cambodia. When he came to the U.S. he began backyard gardening and was able to bring some of the produce grown to local markets. He farms his plot at White Gate Farm in Dracut very intensively and uses carefully timed irrigation to get high levels of production. He produces water spinach, amaranth, chili peppers, jalapeño peppers, Japanese eggplant, bitter melon, pumpkin vines and long beans, which he sells at the Lowell Farmers Market and to local restaurants. Mr. Kim has a viable part-time farming operation, has served as a mentor for other Cambodian farmers, and has been invaluable to New Entry because of his role as a leader in the Cambodian community. He is always eager to share his knowledge with other Cambodian farmers and hopes to have his own roadside stand and Cambodian agricultural center in the future.

Country Facts

Most Cambodians consider themselves Khmer, descendants of the Angkor Empire that spread throughout Southeast Asia. After nearly a century under French protection, Cambodia gained full independence in 1953. But in 1975, the Communist Khmer Rouge forces under Pol Pot gained control of the capital, abolished money and private property, and ordered all city residents to the countryside to cultivate the fields. It is estimated that 1.7 million Cambodians died during the next three years, from exhaustion, starvation, torture, or execution. A Vietnamese invasion in 1978 pushed the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, but the few remaining Khmer forces surrendered in 1999. After peaceful elections in 2003 and one year of negotiations, a coalition government was finally established.

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand
Capital: Phnom Penh
Area: Slightly smaller than Oklahoma with a total area of 181, 040 sq km, Land: 176,520 sq km, Water: 4,520 sq km
Climate: Tropical with a monsoon season
Terrain: Mostly low, flat plains, mountains in the southwest and north
Land Use: Arable land: 20.96%, Permanent crops: 0.61%
Irrigated Land: 2,700 sq km
Environmental Issues: Illegal logging and strip mining for gems have led to habitat loss and declines in biodiversity; soil erosion, overfishing and illegal fishing have led to declining fish stocks
Population: 13,607,069
Life Expectancy: 58.92 years
GDP per capita: $320
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 141
Ethnic Groups: Primarily Khmer with some Vietnamese and Chinese
Languages: Khmer, French, and English
Major Religions: Buddhism

Agriculture

75% of the Cambodian population is engaged in subsistence agriculture. There is very little modern technology involved, including little irrigation. Over 90% of the draught power for land cultivation is provided by oxen and buffalo.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries was put in place in 2000 in order to help increase infrastructure for agriculture. The marketing system is highly underdeveloped and many of the roads were damaged due to the country conflicts.

Agriculture Products: Rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, and tapioca

Traditional Foods

There are two basic dishes in Cambodia: soup and rice. Soup may include fish, egg, vegetables or meats. Rice is prepared in several ways and provides 68% of daily caloric intake. Seafood and fish are common in addition to vegetables and fruits. Soy products, mung bean sprouts, and bitter melon are also common.

Grilled freshwater fish, wrapped in lettuce or spinach and dipped into a nutty fish sauce, is particularly special.

Coriander, mint and lemon grass are three flavors which find their way into many Cambodian dishes.
The French influence in Cambodian is illustrated in the bread, baked turtles, and frog legs that can be found in the market. Cambodia eats the most bread of any of the Southeast Asian countries.

Foods for special occasions: Num Ansom: cylinder cake, Non Kaom: sweet, coconut sticky rice cake,
Samlaw Misuor: noodle soup.