Muscat: Parts of Salalah Airport were evacuated on Thursday morning after two pieces of luggage were left unattended in front of the departure hall entrance. Oman Airport Management Company said in a statement that police and the airport’s management inspected the abandoned luggage and deemed it safe.
“The airport is returning back to normal function after examining the luggage,” said the statement.
Airport’s staff, cabin crews and passengers were evacuated for more than one hour.
After examining the two bags, it turned out they contained only personal items.
Police vehicles cordoned off the airport’s departure area after they received the report.
The airport authority affirmed that the safety and the comfort of passengers remained paramount.
Omani authorities denied rumours about a bomb that had been circulated on social media platforms and the airport authority is expected to issue another statement into the matter.
Passengers could be seen waiting outside the airport after the evacuation.
Ahmad Al Nasri, one of those who evacuated, told Gulf News that he was evacuated along with other passengers for at least two hours. “There was no panic as the security units immediately intervened and inspected the luggage,” he said.
An official at Oman police told Gulf News that investigations were under way, without giving further details of the incident.
Local and regional flights were resumed shortly after the inspection of the luggage revealed nothing untoward.
Another passenger, Mohammad Al Beloushi, told Gulf News that he arrived at Salalah airport from Muscat International Airport but everything was normal at the airport.
This is the first time there has been an evacuation at Salalah airport since the first one opened in 1977.
The new Salalah airport started operations on June 15 and boasts state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that place it among the most modern airports in the world. The passenger terminal is spread over 65,000 square metres and will serve over two million travellers a year during the first stage. The main runway is 4-km long and 75-metres wide and can receive the largest aeroplanes including the A380.
