Muscat - The number of inbound and outbound international flights through the airports of Muscat, Salalah, and Suhar increased by 28 percent, to reach 65,220 flights at the end of December 2022, compared to 28,580 flights during the same period in 2021, according to the National Center 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% traffic rise in 2022 compared to 2021. Capacity increased by 73.8% and load factor climbed 24.6 percentage points to 75.8%.
December demand climbed 69.8% compared to the same month in 2021.
The number of passenger arrivals through the airports of the Sultanate of Oman increased by 133 percent, and the number of passenger departures increased by 109 percent until the end of last December compared to the same period in 2021, as the total number of arrivals, departures and 'transit' passengers at the airports of Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, and Duqm reached 9.876 million.
Incoming and outgoing international and domestic flights through Muscat International Airport increased 107 percent, to reach 68,737 flights, carrying 8,602,791 passengers.
Salalah Airport recorded a significant increase in the number of international and domestic flights by 71 percent, as the number of flights through the airport reached 8,672, carrying 1,128,024 passengers.
As for the number of international and domestic flights departing and arriving from Suhar Airport, it was 813 flights, which ferried 78, 482 passengers.
Duqm Airport recorded 650 incoming and outgoing domestic flights that ferried 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 kilometers or RPKs) rose 64.4 percent compared to 2021.
Globally, the full-year 2022 traffic was at 68.5% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. December 2022 total traffic rose 39.7% compared to December 2021 and reached 76.9% of the December 2019 level.
International traffic in 2022 climbed 152.7 percent versus 2021 and reached 62.2 percent of 2019 levels. In December 2022 international traffic climbed 80.2 percent over December 2021, reaching 75.1 percent of the level in December 2019.
Domestic traffic for 2022 rose 10.9 percent compared to the prior year. 2022 domestic traffic was at 79.6 percent of the full-year 2019 level. December 2022 domestic traffic was up 2.6 percent over the year earlier period and was at 79.9% 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 the restoration of 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.
Middle Eastern airlines saw a 157.4% traffic rise in 2022 compared to 2021. Capacity increased by 73.8% and load factor climbed 24.6 percentage points to 75.8%.
December demand climbed 69.8% compared to the same month in 2021.
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