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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Suhar Airport gets major boost with regional airlines

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In a major boost to the air connectivity to Suhar, Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) said two regional airlines will start operations from Suhar, apart from the summer fights to Salalah by the national budget airline.


PACA will issue a licence to the airport to receive international flights within the next few days, and


that some airlines have confirmed their interest in international flights to Suhar, which include Qatar


Airways and Air Arabia.


PACA approved Air Arabia to operate direct flights between Suhar and Sharjah airports with three flights a week. PACA will announce the start dates of these companies for their flights to Suhar Airport later. As reported earlier, Salam


Air said will operate three weekly flights from Salalah to Suhar from June 28 to September 15 to meet the


growing air traffic demand during the summer


PACA said that in cooperation with the airport operator Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC), Royal Oman Police (ROP)


and other authorities, it is working to complete the initial requirements for the licensing of Suhar Airport to


receive international flights. Speaking to the Observer earlier, Dr Mohammed bin Nasser bin Ali al Zaabi, CEO, PACA, said, “OAMC is doing its best to market the airport, but we are hoping for all the facilities to be completed to


market it properly. There are still efforts to bring some direct flights, but nothing has materialised yet.”


It 2016, Oman Air stopped its flights to Suhar following citing low demand as operations did not


achieve the targeted results since inauguration in November 2014.


MOTC then responded by saying that there are plans for investments in cargo operations, aircraft maintenance and an


aviation academy. The airport is being built within the proximity of the major commercial, industrial and economic centres of Suhar including the Port of Sohar Special Economic Zone.


“There should be services to the Indian sub-continent as lots of Asian expatriates reside in the area


of work. Hope it will start soon in the coming days,” said Ravishankar Nair, a resident of Suhar, who travels


via Muscat, sometimes even Dubai. Suhar Airport is expected to provide an alternative, quicker route for travellers wishing to access Suhar and the north of Oman. The airport will also serve as a new gateway for cargo and courier


traffic in northern Oman and, in the future, will ease congestion pressure on Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat.


In addition, Suhar Airport will serve as an emergency alternative to Muscat Airport for passengers and cargo coming into the Sultanate. The airport will have a capacity of 250,000 Passengers per annum (PPA) with stands for two aircraft.


The airport will be able to manage up to 50,000 tonnes of cargo per annum.


Vinod Nair


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