Passenger numbers using airports in Oman have risen by 7 percent over the past year and revenues have been boosted by the opening of the new Muscat International Airport, a senior official has said.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO, Oman Airports, said performance has been “very positive”.
“We are performing better than many other airports in the Middle East, especially during these challenging times in the region,” he said, adding that a 15 percent increase in transfer passengers has been seen in Muscat.
He said the opening of the new Muscat International Airport in March has helped the company achieve an increase in revenue.
Al Hosni also said Salalah Airport is also performing very well and experienced a record breaking Khareef season this year, with over 630,000 tourists visiting the region, compared to around 470,000 in the same period in 2017.
He added that there has been steady cargo growth in Muscat over the last 12 months, helped by the opening of a new cargo facility in March with a capacity of up to 380,000 tonnes.
“This is definitely a targeted growth area for Oman Airports over the coming years, and we will be working closely with our national stakeholders and international partners to continue to improve and manage the cargo market in Oman,” he told Bloomberg.
The last few years has seen growth in the aviation sector in Oman with three airports opening in three years, with the start of operations at the new Salalah Airport in June 2015, the opening of the new Muscat International Airport in March 2018 and the opening of the new Duqm airport in September 2018.
“The scale of the projects to build and open the new airports is unprecedented in Oman in terms of investment, profile and prestige. 10 years in the planning, the new Muscat International Airport terminal cost $1.8 billion and the Salalah terminal cost $950 million, with further investment in ancillary infrastructure, including roads,” he added.
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