Aviation:S'Ville IA Big Plans?

[ncr]

There was a really funny article today in The Nation, but apparently it's not online; so let me summarize it in my own words.

The title was something like "Ranariddh complains about incursions".

The story: Apparently (or allegedly?) Thai aircraft (it was not specified what kind of aircraft, or on what kinds of flights) routinely violate Cambodian airspace, and Prince Ranariddh (leader of the FUNCINPEC Party ad current house speaker) said if that behaviour didn't stop, Cambodia would take serious diplomatic measures. But fortunately, the prince also promised there would be no war between the two countries. (He was quoted as saying, "We don't have enough firepower to shoot down planes" :D - and apart from that, it was not their intention to start an armed conflict with Thailand, anyway.)

But the best thing was the following: Ranariddh said, unfortunately Cambodia could not provide any evidence about the violations, due to the fact that they only have two (?) radar facilities to monitor their airspace - and both of them are owned by Thais! :p :p :p

(Then again, if they cannot prove it, how do they know about it in the first place, one wonders.)

[Wisarut]

Well local Thai people at Klogn Luek commune have filed the complainsthat thsoe Khmers are incursing Thaisoil by settlign down on the areaalong Sri Phen road ... andthsoe topbrasses seem to get lots of benefits from illegalKhmer immigrations as well as the illegal & stolen vehicle smuggling (allare stolen from Thai people).

This one is so serious that many Thai people have sharpen bamboo rods,
wield machetes, drill AK47 and Cabine shooting, etc etc .... :( :mad: :eek:

[ncr]

Cordial relations, really.......

[jpatokal]

Sihanoukville's airport is open for business (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/15/asia/AS-TRV-Cambodia-Airport.php):
A Soviet-made Antonov-24 plane belonging to a locally owned airline company landed at the Sihanoukville airport following an opening ceremony, said Norinda Khek, spokesman for Societe Concessionnaire des Aeroports, or SCA, a subsidiary of the French construction group Vinci.

He said the plane flew from Siem Reap province, Cambodia's main tourist hub, and that it carried 11 passengers, who were airline staff flying on the promotional trip. It was the first landing at the airport in the last three years, he added. ...

Norinda Khek said that the airport will host only domestic flights this year because its 1.8-kilometer (1 miles) runway can accommodate only propeller planes.

But he said the company plans to extend the runway to 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles) to handle jet aircraft by the end of the year.
And an embryonic article from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sihanoukville_International_Airport

[ncr]

The following is from a newsletter by the Aviation Safety Network (http://aviation-safety.net) that I am subscribed to:

25 JUN 2007 Antonov 24 PMT Air, near Sihanoukville, Cambodia - 22?(22)

This e-mail is brought to you by the Aviation Safety Network (ASN). ASN is an exclusive service of the Flight Safety Foundation. Please note this information is preliminary; new information will be added on the Aviation Safety Network at http://aviation-safety.net/ The 2007 year list of accidents always contains the most recent information on each accident.

ASN ACCIDENT DIGEST 2007-07

Status: Preliminary
Date: 25 JUN 2007
Time: ca 10:40
Type: Antonov 24
Operator: PMT Air
Registration: ?
Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 6
Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 16
Total: Fatalities: 22 ? / Occupants: 22
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: near Kamchay Mountain ( Cambodia )
Phase: En route
Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Siem Reap-Angkor Airport (REP/VDSR), Cambodia
Destination airport: Sihanoukville (Kompong Som) Airport (KOS/VDSV), Cambodia
Flightnumber: 241
Narrative:
PMT Air flight 241 departed the Angkor temple town of Siem Reap (REP) at around 10:00. The Antonov 24 carried out a scheduled flight to Sihanoukville (KOS). The airplane crashed in mountainous terrain near Sihanoukville. Reportedly the wreckage was located by helicopters, without any sign of survivors.

Sources:
AFP, Reuters, Kyodo
--------------------------------------------
AIRCRAFT PROFILE ANTONOV 24
* Last fatal Antonov 24 accident : 19 JAN 2006 Slovak Air Force An-24, near Hejce, Hungary - 42 fatalities
* Total number of Antonov 24 hull-losses: 138 (125 accidents, 12 other occurrences (sabotage, ground fire etc.) and one unknown occurrence), of which 86 losses were fatal
* 61st worst An-24 accident (should there be no survivors)
--------------------------------------------
OPERATOR PROFILE PMT AIR
Progress Multitrade Co., Ltd, doing business as PMT Air received a Cambodian Air Operator Certificate in October 2003. It is also an approved AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organization. It currently operates a Boeing 737-200, an MD-80, an Antonov 24 and two Antonov 12 and one ATR-72.
* web: http://pmtair.com
* Last accident: 21 NOV 2005 PMT Air Yunshuji Y-7, Ratanakiri-Ban Lung Airport, Cambodia- 0 fatalities
--------------------------------------------
COUNTRY PROFILE CAMBODIA
* Last civil hull-loss accident: 21 NOV 2005 PMT Air Yunshuji Y-7, Ratanakiri-Ban Lung Airport, Cambodia- 0 fatalities
* Last fatal civil hull-loss accident: 03 SEP 1997 Vietnam Airlines Tupolev 134, Phnom Penh, Cambodia- 65 fatalities
* The country is not yet rated in FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA)
--------------------------------------------

And a minor update on the website (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20070625-0) - all 22 fatalities now confirmed; crash site identified as "Phnom Damrey Mountain".

[jpatokal]

Wikipedia has an article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMTair_Flight_U4_241

The only good news is that the plane is equipped for ~50 pax, so this could have been worse if the plane had been full. And just when I was starting to think that PMT -- who make most of their money ferrying Koreans to Siem Reap on their solitary 737 -- was actually starting to be Cambodia's sole halfway decent domestic airline... :(

[GWR]

Cambodia to Form New National Flag Carrier with Indonesian Firms:eek:
By The Associated Press
November 23, 2007

The Cambodian government signed a joint venture agreement with two Indonesian companies Friday to form a new national airline to tap the country's growing tourism industry.

The new airline, which has yet to be named, is expected to begin flying in six months, the partners said.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint venture with officials from two Indonesia-based companies, the Rajawali Group and PT Ancora International.

"We will create an airline the country will be proud of," he said.

The new airline will be Cambodia's national flag carrier, its first since tough competition and mismanagement forced Royal Air Cambodge to shut down over five years ago. Air travel to and from Cambodia is currently dominated by foreign-owned airlines.

The Indonesian partners' businesses include cigarettes, cement, telecommunications, hotels, resorts, extractive minerals and airlines, a joint statement said.

The government will hold a 51 percent share in the new venture and its partners 49 percent, it said.

But since the two foreign firms are responsible for providing the capital for creating the new airline, they are entitled to total 70 percent of potential profit while the remaining 30 percent will go to the government, the statement added.

Peter Sondakh, chairman and CEO of Rajawali Group, declined to discuss other financial details of the new airline when asked by reporters.

But he said it will operate with "better aircraft and better service" to compete with foreign airlines.

"We envisage more and more travelers coming to Cambodia, and the new national carrier will become indispensable for the tourism market," said Vichit Ith, managing director of PT Ancora International.

Cambodia received 1.4 million visitors between January and September this year, up nearly 19 percent from the same period of 2006, according to statistics of the Tourism Ministry, which has also forecast that total tourist arrivals this year will exceed last year's 1.7 million.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9398

[jpatokal]

An important bit of the article not mentioned on the front page:

The plane, with a crew of eight, flew from Stockholm, Khek Norinda said, adding that Air Finland plans to operate three charter flights to Cambodia each month.

Air Finland is a small charter operator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Finland), and the only survivor of the frenetic LCC bloodbath in the Finnish market a few years ago. So, while it's of course a good thing to have them fly direct, this is not going to be a scheduled service and it won't really help as far as regular connectivity between Cambodia and Europe goes -- you'll still have to fly via Bangkok.

Finland's main airline, Finnair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnair), has scheduled flights to Bangkok twice daily in the winter peak season but nowhere else in SEA, nor any plans to do so. (KL was on the agenda, but was cancelled as India/China proved more lucrative.)

[GWR]

Saturday, March 08, 2008
Cambodia to expand [Sihanoukville] international airport
07 March 2008
Opodo Travel News

Access to Cambodia is set to be improved in the future, with plans to expand Sihanoukville airport, according to reports.

The government is set to invest around $35m (£17.3m) as it attempts to develop the Cambodian tourism industry.

Finance minister Keat Chhon said that the developments will turn Sihanoukville airport into a thriving international hub, according to the Cambodia Daily newspaper.

Larger aircraft will be able to land at the airport, with runways set to be extended to 2,500 metres this year and eventually to 4,000 metres.

The expansion plans have been enabled by a loan that was given to Societe Concessionaire des Airports, the company that operates Sihanoukville, along with Siem Reap and Phnom Penh airports.

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/03/cambodia-to-expand-sihanoukville.html

[GWR]

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9398

Government Inks Deal on National Airline
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 April 2008

Cambodia has signed an agreement with an Indonesian company to bring back a national airline, following the bankruptcy of Royal Air Cambodge in 2001.

The government signed a deal with the Rajawali Group, which plans to invest $50 million in a 49 percent stake in the airline, according to a joint statement Thursday.

The advent of a national carried is hoped to bring a rapid increase in tourism, Council Minister Sok An said in the statement.

Cambodia saw more than 2 million visitors in 2007, and the government expects 3 million by 2010 and 5 million by 2015.
Link unspecified:
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/

[GWR]

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Cambodian aircraft left at Vietnamese airport for over 1 year
11/06/2008

http://bp0.blogger.com/_76xUgRgjZYM/SE_wONW7jLI/AAAAAAAAEzw/skXAu8X1Dt8/s400/Air+Dream+plane.jpg
[Photo: KI Media]

VietNamNet Bridge – The abandoned plane named “Air Dream” broke down in May 2007 and it has been lying at Noi Bai International Airport since then, said an official of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration.

Vo Huy Cuong, Head of the Transportation Department under the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration, said his agency revoked the flying licence of this plane a long time ago. In the future, if this aircraft is mended and meets flying conditions and wants to fly back to Cambodia, it must get an export flying certificate.

The plane belongs to Royal Khmer Airlines of Cambodia. The Cambodian Aviation Agency had scratched its name from its aircraft registration book. The Northern Airport Management Agency said Royal Khmer Airlines paid part of the parking fees.

“This is a great waste,” Cuong said.

In the world, broken-down aircrafts are often left at airports for one month but it is strange that the Cambodian plane has been at Noi Bai Airport for over one year. This is the first such case at Noi Bai.
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/06/cambodian-aircraft-left-at-vietnamese.html

[GWR]

See photos below quoted article & new article

Saturday, March 08, 2008
Cambodia to expand [Sihanoukville] international airport
07 March 2008
Opodo Travel News

Access to Cambodia is set to be improved in the future, with plans to expand Sihanoukville airport, according to reports.

The government is set to invest around $35m (£17.3m) as it attempts to develop the Cambodian tourism industry.

Finance minister Keat Chhon said that the developments will turn Sihanoukville airport into a thriving international hub, according to the Cambodia Daily newspaper.

Larger aircraft will be able to land at the airport, with runways set to be extended to 2,500 metres this year and eventually to 4,000 metres.

The expansion plans have been enabled by a loan that was given to Societe Concessionaire des Airports, the company that operates Sihanoukville, along with Siem Reap and Phnom Penh airports.

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/03/cambodia-to-expand-sihanoukville.html

Sihanoukville Airport
It's supposed to be open sometime soon.
But nobody knows when.
18 kilometers from downtown SihanoukVille, at the entrance to Ream National Park. Charter Flights
No scheduled flight service yet.
Recently, a popular heliport.
Possibly late 2008 flights to and from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap......
But we're just going to have to wait......

The SihanoukVille Airport is undergoing major renovations to turn it into the main airport for Cambodia. Runway extensions, terminal renovation, and support services going up around the airport.

Stay Tuned!

http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/about-sihanoukville/airport.html

The penultimate paragraph seems a bit hard to believe!

[All Photos below: http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com - See more at above link.]

http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/ream/airentrance.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/ream/airbldg.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/ream/airportbldg1.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00004.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00022.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00025.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00028.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00007.jpg
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/Images/airport/Image00006.jpg

See also this 2007 report on the airport's reopening:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=13236&postcount=4

And the 2007 crash of a plane, not far from the airport:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=15512&postcount=5
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=15567&postcount=6

Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sihanoukville_International_Airport

Sokha Helicopters

fly in style
The Sihanoukville Airport isn't open yet

but the heliport sure is!
Location
wherever you are. Call for pick-up
prices vary by location.
about $1,600/hr+ for the whole helicopter

Other Services
complete tour services of Angkor Wat area.
flight.
Casino Adventures
Land Surveys
Photography and Filming
Search and Rescue
Hotel Transfers

Contact:
Tel: 023 885 773 / 015 531 468 / 016 7331 468
Fax: 023 885 772
e-mail: sokhahelicopters@hotmail.com


All helicopter flights are subject to pilot's discretion, weather conditions, and availability.
All flight are covered by airline passenger seat insurance.

British Ecureuil helicopters.1x Robinson R44 and 2x Eurocopter AS350's Working in conjuction with The Hilicopter Group (Australia).

Sokha Airlines is also part of Sokha Hotels.
http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/sihanoukville-businesses/new6/sokha-helicopters.html

[jpatokal]

The above seems rather out of date -- last I checked, there have been no scheduled services of any kind ever since PMTair's oopsie last year. But the short runway does make it uneconomic, they're not going to see Bangkok Airways/Air Asia etc fly in until they can do so in a 737/A320...