Domestic flights in Oman see spike in passengers

Muscat: The Sultanate’s airports witnessed a growth of 100.8 per cent in the total number of passengers on domestic flights “arriving and departing” in 2021.

“The number of domestic flights through Muscat International Airport records a remarkable growth by the end of November 2021, with incoming flights increasing by 66.7 per cent and departing flights by 65.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.”

Statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information indicated a decrease in the number of incoming and outgoing international flights through various airports of the Sultanate of Oman, as Muscat International Airport recorded a decrease of 21.7 per cent from 29,765 flights at the end of 2020 to 23,303 flights at the end of November 2021, and the total number of flight passengers recorded International (arrivals, departures and transfers) decreased by 28.1 per cent by the end of November 2021.

International air traffic through Salalah Airport witnessed a decline in the number of flights and passengers, as the number of international flights arriving and departing through the airport decreased to 1,225 flights by the end of November 2021, with a decrease of 0.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2020, while the number of domestic flights through Salalah Airport increased by 78.3 The number of domestic flights (incoming and outgoing) passengers traveling through Salalah Airport increased by 90.9 per cent by the end of November 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.

Sohar Airport recorded a 65.9 per cent decrease in the number of international flights (departing and arriving) from 534 flights at the end of November 2020 to 182 flights by the end of November 2021, and the number of passengers decreased by 78.9 per cent from 68,714 passengers at the end of November 2020 to 14,510 passengers by the end of November 2021.

As for Duqm Airport, it recorded a 235.3 per cent increase in the number of domestic flights (departing and arriving) to reach 570 flights at the end of November 2021, compared to 170 flights at the end of November 2020, while the number of passengers increased by 195.9 per cent from 15053 passengers at the end of November 2020 to 44,486 passengers by the end of November 2021.

With regard to the most prominent nationalities using the Muscat International Airport, Indians topped the table with a total of 106,933 passengers at the end of November 2021, followed by the flyers of Bangladeshi nationality with a total of 34,497 passengers, and flyers of Pakistani nationality stood at 29,890 passengers.