Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Report on time to avoid missing flights

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If you don’t check in at the right time, you’re likely to miss flight as the Muscat International airport is witnessing unprecedented rush ahead of Eid holidays.


With passengers arriving late for the departure, many a flight is delayed affecting the schedule of other flights as well.


Apparently, a message said to be from the airport authorities, is doing the rounds which reads thus:


“For the kind information of all the passengers travelling from Muscat Airport, most of the flights are getting delayed and many passengers are also missing their flights due to the congestion at immigration counters, as the number of passengers is comparatively high during holidays. In the light of this, all passengers are requested to arrive at the airport at least 3-4 hours before departure and process their documentation for smooth handling of the rush”.


This message has become a warning for many who arrive at the airport ‘just in time’ and for those who run to the counters just before it is closed. “This issue has ripple impact”, says the country manager of a leading airline. “The number of passengers has grown manifold these past few years and the heavy rush is causing delay in processing the boarding passes and other subsequent procedures such as emigration and customs checks further delaying in the departure of flights.”


It is said that at a given time, at night in particular, scores of flights are taking off and landing at the Muscat International Airport.


Air India Express, one of the major low-cost airlines connecting India to Oman, alone has two flights at the same time, say MCT-Chennai at 2300 and MCT-Delhi at 2310 and passengers arriving just before the counters close making things difficult.


While Oman Air flies to Kozhikode, Trivandrum and Kochin on alternate days at 10 am, Air India flies to 4 different Indian destinations from 10 pm to 12.20 am. Air India Express leaves at 2.50 am. Indigo Airlines too has 4 services between 8.45 pm and 2.15 am to various Indian destinations while Pakistan International Airlines and Biman Bangladesh too fly around this time.


All these departures make the counters crowded.


“It wouldn’t cost you much if you come well in time for departure. On the other hand, this small gesture can save lot of time for both the airlines and the other passengers”, another airline official said.


However, with the new terminal currently under the final touches, hopes are high that rush can be reduced and travel procedures made smoother.


“We have great hopes in the new terminals to open as this can reduce the rush at the counters and make our lives easier”, they said.


 


KABEER YOUSUF


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