Oman aviation: OAMC initiatives help boost passenger traffic at airports

Muscat: Muscat International Airport is becoming the go-to-place for air travel, as one more airline added Muscat as a direct route. Air Asia X has become the newest airline to join the Muscat family, offering direct flights to and from Bangkok.
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At the same time, Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) continues to raise its customer service satisfaction by implementing initiatives, such as ‘Something on your Mind?’ and ‘Fkrati’.
This month, OAMC began a programme to uphold the traditions and culture of the holy month of Ramadan by handing out Iftar boxes to passengers waiting to board their flights, and to those disembarking on arrival.
With OAMC continuing to climb to the top among the world’s airports, Muscat International Airport recorded a 16 per cent growth in passengers in May 2016, with 950,058 passengers, compared to 815,953 during the same month last year.
Salalah Airport recorded a 14 per cent increase in passenger movement in May 2016, with 83,046, compared to 71,564 in May 2015. Duqm Airport saw an 82 per cent rise in passengers, with 2,480 passengers in May 2016, against 2,359 during the same month last year.
Civil aircraft movement also increased by 8 per cent at Muscat International Airport, with 8,281, but decreased by 9 per cent at Salalah Airport to 766. OAMC said that the decrease in aircraft movement is due to the national carrier using larger aircraft to transport more passengers and fly less frequently, instead of flying more, smaller aircraft,which are less efficient.
Duqm Airport saw 36 aircraft landings and departures during May this year, compared to 34 during May last year, which is a 5.8 percent increase.