Siem Reap International Airport (SRIA)

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The Société Concessionnaire de l’Aéroport (SCA), the company that also managed the Pochentong International airport in Phnom Penh, was awarded a 25-year concession contract to rehabiliate and operate the airport at Siem Reap in 2001. The initial cost of the rehabilitation project was estimated at US$65 million. In 2006, the contract was extended by 15 years until 2041. SCA was 70% controlled by Vinci Group (Vinci) from France and 30% by a local holding company, Muhibbah Masteron (Cambodia) Company Limited (MMC). MMC was 70% owned by Muhibbah Engineering Berhad (ME) and 30% owned by two local Cambodian businessmen, Mr Okhna Kong Triv and Mr Okhna Hann Khieng. Vinci was one the largest companies in the world providing concession management, construction and related services. It was created in 2000 through the merger of Société Générale d’Entreprises and Groupe GTM, the construction subsidiaries of Veolia Environnement (formerly called Vivendi Environnement) and Suez, respectively, followed by a gradual spin-off of the new entity (Vinci). Vinci was then an independent company trading on the Paris stock exchange with its staff being the largest shareholder with a 9% interest followed by Veolia Environnement with a 2% interest. Some parts of the operation of the two airports were subcontracted to Cambodia Airport Management Services Limited (CAMS), a joint venture between Aéroport de Paris, the French government owned company (60%) and Malaysian Airport Berhad (40%). In January of 2004, the IFC agreed to lend US$10 million to SCA for the continuing operations of the two main Cambodian airports. Proparco, a French bilateral, provided a parallel loan of US$10 million along with IFC. The loans were part of SCA's 2003-2007 capital expenditure program which included US$23.9 million for Siem Reap Airport for 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. In 2002, Siem Reap handled 572,664 passengers, mainly tourists visiting Angkor temples, and 13,605 aircraft movements. International passengers represented 66% of the activity, with the remaining 34% domestic passengers mainly transferring to/from Phnom Penh.