Muscat Airport Traffic Up 6 Percent

The number of passengers departing from the Muscat International Airport increased by 9 percent to 1,657,498 in 2009, compared to 1,523,038 in 2008. Increased capacity and frequency by carriers like Air India, Lufthansa, and Shaheen International Airline contributed to the increase in passenger traffic. Transit traffic, which includes transfer passengers, increased 14 percent to 4,556,502 in 2009, up from 4,212,100 passengers in 2008. There was also a surge in passenger numbers at Salalah Airport, the second major airport in Oman. The number of passengers at this airport increased to 426,503 in 2009, up from 407,788 in 2008.