Dubai:
Oman’s Salalah International Airport expects passenger numbers to rise by 10.7 per cent this year, bolstered by the opening of the new 65,000 square metre terminal.
A total of 930,000 passengers are forecast to pass through the airport in 2015, compared to 840,000 in 2014, Salem Awad Said Al Yafaey, General Manager, Salalah Airport at Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), told Gulf News at an aviation industry event in Dubai on Monday.
The airport opened its new 2 million a year passenger capacity terminal in June at a cost believed to be in excess of 300 million Omani riyal. It replaced the old 500,000 annual passenger capacity terminal.
The terminal was built as part of the Oman government’s 2.5 billion Omani riyal investment in the country’s airport infrastructure, including the ongoing expansion of the sultanates main airport, Muscat International.
An increasing number of tourists are heading to Salalah, boosting passenger numbers through the airport. During the popular Khareef (monsoon) season from July to September daily flights increase to 27, up from around 19 through the year, Al Yafaey said. Five weekly charter flights from Europe will start this week, he added.
OAMC has engaged in commercial talks with Emirates and Etihad Airways to start flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, respectively, to Salalah Airport, Al Yafaey said, adding he is hopeful they will start in time for the 2016 Khareef season.
He also said he expects twice weekly Salalah-Jeddah flights operated by Oman Air will resume in 2016 after being suspended earlier this year.
In 2016, Salalah Airport expects passenger numbers to exceed 1 million in the first full year of operations for the new terminal, Al Yafaey said.
