Passenger traffic at Salalah Airport rises by 6.7%

Zawya

3 days ago

Muscat: Passenger traffic at Salalah Airport recorded a notable increase of 6.7% by the end of May 2025, reaching 557,298 passengers, compared to 522,224 during the same period in 2024. This growth comes amid varying trends in traffic across Oman's major airports, as reported in preliminary statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Nationwide, the total number of passengers traveling through Oman's airports — Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, and Duqm — reached approximately 5.79 million by the end of May 2025. This reflects a 3% decrease compared to 5.97 million passengers in the same period of 2024.
Muscat International Airport remained the busiest, handling 5.21 million passengers, down from 5.39 million the previous year, marking a 3.5% decline. Flight operations at the airport also declined by 7.5%, with 37,307 flights recorded compared to 40,322 flights in the corresponding period last year.
While Salalah Airport posted growth in passenger numbers, it experienced a slight drop in total flight operations, with 3,717 flights recorded — a 0.3% decline compared to 3,730 flights in May 2024.
Sohar Airport, however, saw a dramatic downturn in activity, with a 98.8% drop in passenger traffic. Only 336 passengers used the airport by the end of May 2025, compared to 27,350 during the same period in 2024. Flights at Sohar also fell sharply by 63.7%, totaling 82, compared to 226 the previous year.
At Duqm Airport, operations showed marginal declines. Passenger traffic dropped by 1.2%, reaching 25,371, down from 25,675 in May 2024. Flight operations also saw a slight decrease of 1.5%, recording 256 flights compared to 260 flights a year ago.
In terms of nationality, Indian nationals topped the list of most frequent travelers through Muscat International Airport during May 2025. A total of 193,861 passengers were recorded, comprising 85,447 arrivals and 108,414 departures. Omani nationals followed, with 108,916 passengers (54,086 arrivals and 54,830 departures), while Pakistani nationals ranked third with 46,930 passengers, including 21,267 arrivals and 25,663 departures.
The data reflects both regional growth trends and shifting travel dynamics across Oman's aviation sector. Further updates are expected in the coming months as seasonal travel patterns evolve.
Observer Web Team Syndigate.info).