Saturday 11 / May / 2024
Muscat: September 2021 has finally arrived for Oman, with the land of frankincense reopening to vaccinated tourists without quarantine restrictions.
It’s time once again to discover the hidden gems of Oman, where ‘beauty has an address.’
Oman’s airports have reopened their doors to welcome travellers coming to the Sultanate from all around the world, coinciding with the lifting of the quarantine requirement.
Passengers arriving need to either take a PCR test before or after arriving in the Sultanate, and must have been injected with two doses of COVID-19 vaccines approved in the country. The return of many regular operations began at midday on September 1, 2021, giving the green light to major international airlines to conduct their activities in operating domestic and international flights through the country.
Previous restrictions were in place for nearly 18 months a year to limit the spread of the virus.
With operations likely to return to pre-pandemic levels, to achieve the highest standards of health and safety at Oman Airports, Muscat International Airport has implemented safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to ensure the safety and health of all passengers and airport workers.
Special pathways have been assigned for both passengers who are fully vaccinated and have PCR tests, while another is delegated for those who aren’t vaccinated, or haven’t taken their COVID tests before arriving in Oman.
New routes also include separate paths for first and business-class passengers, GCC citizens, and those with special needs.
Saud bin Nasser Al-Hubaishi, vice president of Muscat International Airport, said in this context: “We are pleased on this holy day and we are on the threshold of returning to our full operations, at Muscat International Airport as well as the rest of the Sultanate’s airports.
“We congratulate all of our airport families for this good return, which we all have been longing for, to continue our sincere national role in receiving and bidding farewell to all of Oman’s visitors,” he added.
He added, “Implementation of a set of strict precautionary protocols at Muscat International Airports and Salalah enabled us to obtain international recognition as the first airports in the Middle East to apply health standards related to COVID 19,
“We are constantly updating these protocols and procedures in line with international standards adopted in this regard and aligning it with the national precautionary requirements approved by the Sultanate,” he added.
“We would like to wholeheartedly thank the authorities for their continuous efforts in assessing the epidemiological situation worldwide and updating protocols aimed at ensuring the safety and health of travellers to and through the Sultanate’s airports.
Oman Airports emphasised the importance of adhering to the precautionary measures and wearing a face mask at all times inside the terminals, and maintaining social distance of at least one and a half metres inside the airport premises.
All personnel entering the airport must show proof of vaccination. Travellers, however, can enter the premises even if they are unvaccinated.
