Seeb airport's traffic declines

Oman's main airport, Seeb International Airport, witnessed a 11.1 per cent drop in passenger movement in the first half of the year, according to statistics released here recently.

There was an overall decline in passenger, aircraft and cargo movements from January this year. At the end of June 30, the passenger movement dropped to 1,223,500 passengers as against 1,375,900 during the same period in 2001.

According to the report, a lesser number of passengers arrived in Muscat during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. Last year, 652,990 passengers arrived from January to June while only 572,800 arrived during the same period this year.

There was also a decline in passengers departing from the Seeb airport as 598,980 passengers exited through the airport, which is about 30 kilometres from the town centre, in the first sixth months this year, as against 679340 passengers last year.

The statistics showed that the number of passengers arriving in transit at the airport stood at 698,980 passengers compared with 679,340 passengers during the same period last year.

On cargo traffic, the statistics show that the total freight and mail exports traffic declined by 29.3 per cent to 11.56 million kilograms as at end of June this year as against 15.64 million kilograms during the same period in 2001.

Imports also dropped to 16.13 million kilograms during the period of the report down by 24,7 per cent from 21.4 million kilograms during the same period a year ago.

Civil aircraft movement declined slightly as at the end of June 2002 to 19,519 flights from a total of 19,631 flights in the first six months last year - down by 0.57 per cent.

A source at Seeb International airport said passengers, aircraft and cargo movements were expected to grow in the future as a result of Oman Air's recent expansion of its network which extended to new destinations including East Africa, Beirut and Cairo and also because of the increase in passenger movement during the current tourism season.

He said, Oman Air applied for operating three additional flights to Salalah in August this year.

The carrier currently operates one weekly flight to Salalah.

The Omani Company for Airport Management has currently embarked on construction of a duty free shop in the arrivals section at the Seeb airport.