Increased passenger traffic at Muscat International, Salalah airports

Muscat: The total passenger traffic (including transit & transfer passengers) through Muscat International Airport increased by 20 per cent to 1,924,815 passengers during February 2016 compared to 1,597,660 passengers for the same period of 2015.
Statistics released by the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) showed an increase in the arrival passengers by 22 per cent to 987,155 passengers as at the end of February 2016 comparing to 809,283 passengers for the same period of the year 2015.
The number of departing passengers has also increased by 20 per cent to 933,842 passengers as at the end of February 2016 comparing to 778,092 passengers for the same period of the year 2015.
The increase in arrival and departure traffic into Muscat International Airport is attributed to the increasing in the number of flights operated by existing airlines, such as Bangladesh Airlines, Etihad Airlines and SpiceJet.
In terms of Air Cargo traffic at Muscat International Airport, Aviation Statistics indicated an increase in the total unloaded and loaded freight by 11 per cent, with total shipment (21,548 ton) compared to (19,419 ton) in the same period in 2015.
Salalah Airport has an increase by 20 per cent in the total number of arriving and departing passengers to 174,687 passengers as at the end of February 2016 compared to 145,947 passengers for the same period of 2015.
As for the movement of Air Cargo at Salalah Airport, freight traffic recorded a 10 per cent decrease in total unloaded and loaded freight, bringing the shipment to (221 ton) as at the end of February 2016 compared to (246 ton) in the same period in 2015.