Duqm: Duqm Airport was officially dedicated to the nation, with officials expressing confidence in its ability to emerge as Oman’s third major full-fledged aviation hub after Muscat and Salalah.
Initially, the
airport started operations in the summer of July 2014 from a temporary
passenger terminal, which shifted to the newly-completed Passenger Terminal
Building (PTB) in September 2018.
Speaking on the
occasion, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and
Communications (MoTC), said the airport will be the main engine of economic
growth of Duqm by offering direct connectivity with the rest of the world.
It has the potential
to handle half a million passengers annually in the current phase with scope for
future expansions to handle two million passengers a year.
Mustafa bin
Mohammed al Hinai, CEO, Oman Aviation Group (OAG), said, “Fish from Al Wusta
region can be exported to rest of the world through Duqm and Muscat
International Airport. He underlined the importance of this airport as Duqm
Special Economic Zone has managed to attract investors, including in tourism
projects, from countries like India, Japan and China.”
Shaikh Ayman
bin Ahmed al Hosani, CEO, Oman Airports, the number of passengers using the
Duqm Airport reached 57,000 at the end of 2018.
He said the
company is working on its marketing plan to attract airlines while Oman Air
flies daily between Muscat and Duqm except on Fridays.
The air
cargo complex can handle 50,000 tonnes of freight per year, which could be increased
in coordination with the Port of Duqm.
It can accommodate
all types of aircraft, including Oman Air’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
“With the
work on major industrial projects, including the Duqm Refinery and the Chinese
Industrial Corridor underway in full swing, there will be a need for direct
connectivity from the city, instead of passenger traffic being routed through
the Muscat and Salalah airports,” said the project manager of a leading contracting
company.
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