KANDAL, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Tuesday opened the capital’s new Techo International Airport as officials welcomed an inaugural flight to great fanfare, with the hope of boosting tourism.

Fire trucks crisscrossed streams of water over the Air Cambodia flight from China as it taxied to the terminal in the new $2 billion facility located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of Phnom Penh.

The new three-runway facility replaces the nearly 70-year-old Phnom Penh International Airport which had only one runway. It had been scheduled to be operational in July but the opening was delayed for a technical issue.

“The opening is a major step for Cambodia’s aviation and economy,” former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on social media.

“It’s a great honor to be one of the first passengers to use

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