Oman Airports is targeting expansion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and further growth of frequencies and destinations in Europe as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance global connectivity.
The state-owned group, which manages Muscat International Airport (MCT), Salalah Airport (SLL), Duqm Airport and Sohar Airport, says it is assessing new markets to be served by both Omani and foreign carriers. It comes after traffic across the group’s airports rose to 8.5 million passengers during the first seven months of the year, marking a year-on-year rise of 9.2%.
“Muscat International Airport has grown with the addition of five new airlines, and we expect more in the near future,” a spokesperson said. The airport’s latest route development successes include Air India Express’ new service from New Delhi and Pakistan International Airlines’ decision to commence flights from Faisalabad.
Other new routes launched in recent months have included SalamAir’s twice weekly flights between MCT and Bengaluru, India, and the LCC’s addition of service to Islamabad, Pakistan. Oman Air also plans to resume seasonal flights from MCT to Zurich, Male and Moscow Sheremetyevo for the northern winter 2024-25 season.
Additionally, SLL has seen SalamAir launch flights to Baghdad this summer, and Kuwait Airlines resume seasonal operations from Kuwait City. Turkish Airlines also recently identified Salalah as a destination it intends to serve in the future.
Oman Airports says it is actively pursuing new markets, particularly in the CIS region and Europe, with an eye on increasing flight frequencies and expanding the network. “We regularly update our business cases to stay relevant to airlines’ needs, and our participation in industry conferences and [business-to-business] meetings ensures that Oman’s market potential is well represented,” a spokesperson said.
Recent efforts to enhance international connectivity were exemplified by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Oman Airports and Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland earlier this year. This partnership aims to increase commercial and private flights between Oman and Poland, strengthening ties between the two countries and exploring new opportunities for growth.
Oman Airports’ long-term vision also includes further expansions at MCT, which currently has the capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually. Future phases of development are expected to boost this capacity to 56 million passengers.
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