Demand for Muscat-Salalah air travel surges during khareef

Vinod R Nair

Published: 1:13 PM, Sep 10, 2025

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Demand exceeded supply by more than 100% between Muscat and Salalah, and flights operated at full capacity during the Khareef Dhofar season 2025, said Hamed bin Ahmed al Barashdi, spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Fixed fares were offered by airlines for Omani citizens during the khareef season.

Oman Air carried 5,500 passengers and increased daily flights from 12 to 14 flights per day, with the occupancy exceeding 110% on some days.

SalamAir carried 4,000 passengers per day during the peak period and increased the number of flights from 4 to 8 per day. The occupancy rate exceeded 125% on some days.

It may be noted that 187,153 visitors arrived by air, comprising a 15.5% increase, between June 21 and August 15.

The number of visitors to the Khareef Dhofar (monsoon) season from June 21 to August 15 reached 827,115, a 2.1% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when the number stood at 810,085, based on the estimates of Khareef Dhofar 2025 visitors released by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The preliminary statistics showed that the number of Omani visitors grew by 71.5 percent, reaching 591,577. Visitors from other GCC countries totaled 143,431, while visitors from other nationalities numbered 92,107.

A total of 639,962 visitors arrived in Dhofar Governorate via land ports by August 15, 2025.

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