Domestic travel rise leads to overall air traffic growth

Apart from significant rise in international air traffic, the sultanate is witnessing a tremendous increase in domestic air travel as well. The number of domestic flights increased by 28.6 per cent, while the number of domestic passengers rose by 17.6 per cent during January to September 2017 over the corresponding period last year.

The number of domestic flights rose from 7,295 to 9,378, while domestic passengers went up from 788,363 to 927,038 year-on-year from January to September 2017. The increase in domestic air travel is led by regional airports like Salalah, Sohar and Duqm where overall growth of passenger and flights has been unmatched in the last few years.

According to figures released by Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), the growth in the number of passengers at the new Salalah Airport went up by 25.7 per cent from 1,019,436 during January-October 2016 to 1,281,636 in the same period in 2017.

While the number of flights rose by 46.3 per cent from 8,687 to 12,713 during the same period. With major industrial activity undergoing in Duqm, the airport in the city saw the passenger traffic increase by 32.5 per cent from 20,231 (January-October 2016) to 26,802 in the same period in 2017.

The number of aircraft also increased 20 per cent year-on-year (January-October) from 340 to 408. With SalamAir starting operations at Sohar Airport early this year, followed by international arrivals by Air Arabia and Qatar Airways, the number of passengers witnessed so far this year till September is 73,903, while 568 flights landed at the airport.

Muscat International Airport continues to show solid growth with 11.646mn passengers going through the airport from January-October 2017, a year-on-year increase of 17 per cent. While aircraft movement increased by 12 per cent from 85,479 to 95,565 over the same time frame. The maximum number of flight arrivals and departures were from India at the Muscat International Airport, followed by Bangladesh and Pakistan.