A U.S.-Korean joint venture is in talks with the government to build a
helicopter manufacturing plant and a training facility for helicopter
pilots and mechanics, an aviation official and a company representative
said this week.
Richard Pak, a representative of South Korean firm Samik Bio Energy
Co. Ltd., said the company hopes to construct the facilities near the
country’s unused Battambang or Koh Kong provincial airports.
“Our main project is [to] build helicopter manufactur[ing] factory
and training school for helicopter [pilots] and training engineer and
helicopter mechanic,” Mr. Pak wrote in an email, adding that all the
necessary technology and “professional manpower” would be brought from
Korea.
Eng Suosdey, undersecretary of state at the State Secretariat of
Civil Aviation (SSCA), said that Samik Bio Energy and Arlington,
Washington-based Helipower Helicopter Inc. started a joint feasibility
study of Battambang airport on October 26.
“Korean investors are interested in a Battambang…training center,”
said Mr. Suosdey, who was appointed liaison between the state aviation
regulator and the firms. “We need to study [it] with the Korean
investors.”
A PowerPoint presentation sent to the SSCA by Helipower and Samik Bio
Energy advertises the benefits of the recently developed five-seat
WorldCopter, which can be mass-produced and uses regular automotive
petrol, rather than aviation fuel. It costs $300,000.
With most foreign investment projects in Cambodia concentrated in the
garment and, more recently, nascent light-manufacturing sectors, a
helicopter factory would be uniquely ambitious.
Mr. Suosdey cautioned that about 70 percent of the aviation-related
investments proposed to the SSCA fall through, but he put the chance of
the Helipower-Samik project succeeding at “50-50.”
Mr. Suosdey said that he had recommended the companies also consider
Koh Kong airport, because families abutting the Battambang runway would
have to be relocated to make way for any modifications to the site.
The government announced last month that it would rehabilitate five
of Cambodia’s domestic airports, including those in Battambang and Koh
Kong, to promote tourism in remote parts of the country. At the time,
tourism officials said that private investors would be needed to upgrade
and operate the facilities.
Mr. Pak said that Samik Bio Energy had no intention to actually
rebuild any airport, and emphasized that what would be required for a
factory and training center alone would be significant.
“This is not easy business,” he wrote, adding that the company would
need land to build a factory, parts manufacturers, a pilot and mechanic
school, a boarding house, and a hangar. He declined to say how much the
project might cost.
Helipower Helicopter could not be reached yesterday.
5 comments:
That is a good news, but we need to get rid of CPP Yuon crooks in this joint venture business. We never trust Yuon/Vietnamese CPP clans and crooks that works dumbo Hun Sen and Hanoi masters.
It's good news if the investment plan goes through. If the U.S-Korean company goes through with their plan, Cambodia would have a factory producing helicopters for local use and for exports.
It is a really good news about the beginning of engineering era for Cambodia. Cambodia is really overwhelming with craps of business and law.
Local use? How can the local use the $300,000 helicopters when they have no land and no houses.
I hope the Koreans are not planning on bringing in the Vietnamese, as we all know Hun Sen and CPP freely allow the Vietnamese illegal immigrants to live freely without presecution, and forces many home owners out of their land for the Vietnamese company.
if this helicopter was given for me for free, i would not take it anyway because I value my life. This company should give this helicopter to Hun Sen and let him fly in it. Khmer cannot build one shitty car or motorcycle.
hamona hamoot.
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