Muscat: The arrival and departure of international flights through the various airports of the Sultanate of Oman recorded a remarkable growth of 81.9 per cent by the end of March 2022 to reach 10,672 international flights. This is compared to the same period in 2021, which amounted to 5,865 flights.
According to data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the Indian nationality topped the highest number of passengers on departing and arriving flights through Muscat international airport, with a total of 106,872 passengers at the end of March 2022, followed by the Bangladeshi nationality with a total of 44,869 passengers, and then the Pakistani nationality with a total of 35,682 passengers.
Statistics issued by the NCSI indicated that the number of incoming and outgoing domestic flights from Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Duqm airports increased by 25.3 per cent, to 2,914 domestic flights, compared to the same period in 2021, which amounted to 2,326 flights.
The number of arrivals and departures through airports recorded a remarkable increase by 89 per cent, as the total number of arriving, departing and transiting passengers at Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Duqm airports reached 1.7 million passengers until the end of March 2022. The number of departures through airports until the end of March increased by 60 per cent compared to the same period last year.
International air traffic through Muscat International Airport witnessed an increase in the number of flights by 74.4 per cent, and the total number of international passengers (arrivals, departures and transfers) increased by 79.1 per cent, from 707,003 passengers at the end of March 2021 to 1.2 million passengers at the end of March 2022.
Salalah Airport recorded a remarkable increase in the number of flights by 52 per cent, bringing the number of incoming and outgoing international flights through the airport to 724 by the end of March 2022, an increase of 138.2 per cent, and the number of domestic flights through Salalah Airport increased by 18.2 per cent to 915 flights, compared to 774 flight during the same period in 2021. The number of domestic (incoming and outgoing) passengers travelling through Salalah Airport increased by 41 per cent at the end of March 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
The number of international flights (departing and arriving) from Sohar Airport reached 248 by the end of March 2022, as the number of international flights (incoming and outgoing) reached 21,532 passengers.
As for Duqm Airport, it recorded a 12.8 per cent increase in the number of domestic flights (departing and arriving) to 176 flights at the end of March 2022, compared to 156 flights at the end of March 2021, while the number of passengers increased by 26.2 per cent from 12,584 passengers at the end of March 2021 to 15,877 passengers by the end of March 2022.
