Airport Traffic in Oman Rises 8.8% in January: What It Means for Investors and Business Growth Opportunities
Passenger traffic at Oman’s airports increased by 8.8 percent by the end of January 2026, reaching a total of 1,452,911 passengers, compared to 1,334,825 during the same period in 2025, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
International flights totaled 8,032 across the country’s airports by January’s end, marking a 2.7 percent rise from 7,820 flights the previous year. Muscat International Airport recorded 7,594 international flights, up 2.5 percent from 7,410 in January 2025. Passenger numbers on these flights increased by 7.2 percent to 1,189,938 from 1,109,650 a year earlier.
Domestic flights at Muscat International Airport reached 773, with domestic passenger numbers growing 14.4 percent to 107,423, compared to 93,895 in January 2025.
Salalah Airport also showed significant growth, with total international and domestic flights rising 11.4 percent to 916 from 822 flights in January 2025. Passenger numbers surged by 19.2 percent to 150,785 from 126,506. The airport handled 428 international flights and 488 domestic flights.
Suhar Airport experienced an 80 percent increase in flights, handling 18 international and domestic flights by the end of January, up from 10 in the previous year.
At Duqm Airport, domestic flights numbered 52 by January’s end, while passenger numbers decreased slightly by 0.5 percent to 4,749 from 4,774.
Data also revealed that Omani nationals constituted the largest proportion of passenger traffic at Muscat International Airport in January 2026, with 195,657 passengers, including 98,339 arrivals and 97,318 departures. Indian nationals were the second-largest group with 187,904 passengers, followed by Pakistanis with 48,546 passengers. — ONA
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The 8.8% growth in passenger traffic at Oman’s airports signals a robust recovery and expanding connectivity, offering significant opportunities for the travel, hospitality, and retail sectors to capitalize on rising demand. However, smart investors should also consider infrastructure scalability and potential competition as flight frequencies and passenger volumes increase. Entrepreneurs can strategically focus on enhanced services catering to key demographics like Omani nationals and large expatriate communities to capture market share.
