Over 1 million passengers used Muscat International airport in January 2023

Muscat: Muscat is widely regarded as one of the most-sought after destinations in winter season and the recent surge of air travellers through Muscat International Airport underlined the growing popularity of the Sultanate of Oman.

Muscat International Airport witnessed a rise in passenger traffic as it crossed the 1 million mark (international and domestic) in January 2023.

According to the latest figures released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) on Sunday the international and domestic inbound and outbound flights through Muscat International Airport climbed by 143 percent to reach 7,687 flights, carrying as many as 1,051,390 passengers onboard by the end of January 2023.

The encouraging numbers of passenger movement is similar to what Oman had recorded during the pre-pandemic times.

According to statistics available, the total number of passengers at Muscat International Airport were 1.43 million at the end of January 2020.

The latest NCSI statistics revealed that the number of international inbound and outbound flights through Muscat International Airport, as well as Salalah, Sohar and Duqm airports reached 8,537 flights at the end of January 2023.

The number of arrivals through the airports of the Sultanate of Oman witnessed a remarkable increase by 94 percent and the number of departures soared by 115 percent as at the end of January 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

The total number of arriving, departing and transit passengers through the airports of Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Duqm reached about 1,165,556 at the end of January 2023.

Salalah Airport reported an increase in the number of international and domestic flights by 43.1 percent, as the number of flights through the airport reached 774, carrying 105,719 passengers onboard.

The number of international and domestic inbound and outbound flights in Sohar Airport reached 24 flights at the end of January 2023, carrying 2,380 passengers onboard, while Duqm Airport reported 52 domestic inbound and outbound flights, carrying 6,067 passengers onboard.

Passengers of Indian nationality topped the list of those who crossed through Muscat International Airport with a total of 151,087 passengers, followed by Bangladeshi nationals with a total of 52,016 passengers and Pakistani nationals with 39,762 passengers.