Oman witnesses a 16.4% growth in passenger traffic in early 2024
The Sultanate of Oman’s aviation sector has experienced remarkable growth in the initial four months of 2024.
According to the data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the country witnessed a significant surge in both passenger traffic and flight operations during the period, the Aviator ME reports.
Oman’s all four airports–Muscat International Airport (MCT), Salalah Airport (SLL), Daqum Airport (DQM), and Sohar Airport (OHS)–collectively handled over 4.9 million passengers, a 16.4% rise from the 4.2 million passengers recorded during the same period in 2023.
The total number of flights also reached 36,000, a notable 12.3% increase from last year’s 32,000 flights.
MCT, Oman’s premier aviation hub, played a crucial role in driving this growth, managing approximately 4.4 million passengers by the end of April 2024, reflecting a 16.8% uptick compared to 3.7 million recorded during the same period last year.
Additionally, the airport saw a 12.4% rise in flight operations, with a total of 32,500 international and domestic flights.
In terms of international traffic demographics, Indian travellers led the way with 89,200 arrivals and 83,800 departures.
Following closely were Pakistani nationals, with 21,100 arrivals and 19,500 departures, and Bangladeshi nationals with 12,800 arrivals and 20,500 departures.
Furthermore, SLL also demonstrated steady growth, handling 429,181 passengers in the first four months of 2024, marking a 9.9% increase compared to the preceding year.
The number of flights at the airport mirrored this growth, rising to 3,122 flights.
Moreover, among all four airports, OHS experienced a significant surge in its passenger traffic, with a 295% increase to 22,390 passengers from a modest 5,669 during the same period in 2023.
Airport expansion plans
The growth in passenger and flight numbers highlights the dynamic expansion and increased connectivity within Oman’s aviation sector.
To cater to the growing demand, the country is planning to build six new airports across the country, intending to increase the number of airports in Oman to 13 by 2028-29.
With the completion of these projects, the country aims to position itself as a key player in the international aviation landscape, anticipating an increase in passenger traffic to 50 million by 2040.
Furthermore, Oman is also planning to launch a new low-cost carrier (LLC), with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently announcing an investment opportunity for a new LLC operator in the country.