Author : Editor
Passenger traffic at Muscat International Airport soared to record levels, crossing the six million mark for the first time. Around 6.4 million passengers were handled by the airport during 2011, compared to 5.7 passengers in 2010, an increase of 12 per cent.
Volumes peaked in July with 623,119 passengers travelling during this period — a time typically associated with the school and summer holiday season. Also contributing to travel volumes during July were people looking to complete their overseas holidays before the start of the Ramadhan the following month. The highest traffic on any given day was recorded on December 22, 2011. A total of 23,613 passengers travelled on this day — the weekend before the Christmas holidays.
According to Wihaad Soud al Harthy, Marketing Manager Aeronautical at Oman Airports Management Company, the unprecedented surge in passenger throughput at Muscat airport reflects the positive trends witnessed in the aviation industry in Oman. The growth is being driven by a number of factors including fleet and route expansion by national carrier Oman Air, and the increase in capacity and frequency by the existing airlines. This in turn is being fuelled by the growth and development of the tourism industry within the country, as well as strong commercial, industrial and economic activity.
Two new airlines started flights to Oman in 2011 — IndiGo and Ethiopian Airlines. Both carriers are expected to contribute to passenger traffic growth at Muscat International Airport during 2012.
Muscat airport is currently served by 29 scheduled airlines and is directly connected to 57 destinations in 28 countries — a record for the country’s principal air transport gateway.
Of the 6.4 million passengers handled by the airport in 2011, around 2.5 million were from the Indian sub-continent. Travellers from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries comprised a further 2.2 million. Other regions, such as the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Far East, and the Domestic market, also witnessed an increase in passenger numbers.
Passenger traffic also reached record numbers at Salalah Airport. Total traffic exceeded the half million passenger mark for the first time in its history. In all, 513,278 passengers travelled through the airport in 2011, compared to 455,297 passengers in 2010.
Source : main.omanobserver.om
