More flights planned as Muscat airport expands operations

Muscat: Passengers in Oman will have more air travel options, as Muscat International Airport continues to expand operations.

Speaking to Times of Oman, a senior official from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said, “We have reached a set of agreements with a number of countries regarding increasing the number of flights, while enhancing control over compliance, maintaining health and safety protocols on board aircraft and at airports in the Sultanate.”

“This is based on the decisions issued by the Supreme Committee for dealing with COVID-19, depending on the framework, levels of air transport and indicators monitored by the CAA to regulate the number of flights between the Sultanate and the various countries of the world towards the gradual and safe return of air traffic in the Sultanate, in light of COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Regarding flights to India, he said: “It has been agreed between the Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of India on the possibility of transporting 12,000 passengers per week between the airports of the two countries which will be evenly distributed with 6,000 seats on each side. This represents a growth of 20 per cent.”

“It has also been agreed with authorities in Pakistan to operate flights according to the level of demand within the framework of the air transport agreement concluded between the two countries, and work is underway for a similar agreement with the relevant authorities in Bangladesh.”

“With regard to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), work is underway to increase the number of flights between Oman and other GCC countries according to demand and other health measures taken.

It is expected that the number of flights between Oman and the United Arab Emirates during this month will reach 20 weekly flights distributed evenly between the designated air carriers of the two countries.

“There will be six weekly flights to Qatar, which will be distributed among the carriers of the two countries. Coordination is also underway with Egypt to raise the number to six weekly flights, distributed equally.”

“As for destinations in Europe, it has been agreed to operate three weekly flights between Muscat and Amsterdam, and to add a weekly flight between Muscat and Zurich during this month and thereafter increase this to two weekly flights from January 2021, and to continue assessing the volume of demand for travel to other destinations in Europe.”