The aviation sector in the Sultanate of Oman reported a robust recovery in 2022 in line with the global demand for travel.
The number of inbound and outbound international flights through the airports of Muscat, Salalah and Suhar increased 28 per cent to 65,220 flights at the end of December 2022, compared to 28,580 flights during the same period in 2021, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
This is in line with the recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) report that the Middle Eastern airlines saw a 157.4-per cent traffic rise in 2022 compared to 2021. Capacity increased by 73.8 per cent, and load factor climbed 24.6 percentage points to 75.8 per cent. December demand climbed 69.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2021. The number of passengers arriving through the airports of the Sultanate increased by 133 per cent, and the number of passengers departing increased by 109 per cent until the end of December 2002, compared to the same period in 2021.
The total number of arrivals, departures and 'transit' passengers at the airports of Muscat, Salalah, Suhar and Duqm reached 9.876 million. The incoming and outgoing international and domestic flights through Muscat International Airport increased by 107 per cent to 68,737 flights, carrying 8,602,791 passengers. Salalah Airport recorded a significant increase in the number of international and domestic flights by 71 per cent, as the number of flights through the airport reached 8,672, carrying 1,128,024 passengers. The number of international and domestic flights departing and arriving from Suhar Airport reached 813, carrying 78,482 passengers. Duqm Airport recorded 650 incoming and outgoing domestic flights, carrying 67,465 passengers until the end of 2022. Passengers of Indian nationality dominated the users at Muscat International Airport (147,032), followed by Bangladesh nationals (53,130) and Pakistan nationals (39,853).
According to IATA, total traffic in 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 64.4 per cent compared to 2021. Globally, the full-year 2022 traffic was at 68.5 per cent of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. December 2022 total traffic rose 39.7 per cent compared to December 2021 and reached 76.9 per cent of the December 2019 level. International traffic in 2022 climbed 152.7 per cent versus 2021 and reached 62.2 per cent of 2019 levels. In December 2022, international traffic climbed 80.2 per cent over December 2021, reaching 75.1 per cent of the level in December 2019.
Domestic traffic for 2022 rose 10.9 per cent compared to the prior year. December 2022 domestic traffic was up 2.6 per cent over the year-earlier period and was at 79.9 per cent of December 2019 traffic. "The industry left 2022 in far stronger shape than it entered, as most governments lifted Covid-19 travel restrictions during the year, and people took advantage of restoring their freedom to travel. This momentum is expected to continue in the New Year, despite some governments' over-reactions to China's re-opening," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director-General.
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