Operations begin at new Muscat airport

The flight which arrived at 5.30pm was given a water cannon salute as it taxiied on the runway. Passengers arriving from Iraq were given souvenirs to celebrate the occasion.

At the departure area, one could see excitement among passengers.

Speaking to Muscat Daily , Lisa Morgan, a music composer said, “I will be catching a flight to Abu Dhabi. I must say that the new airport is incredible. It is very spacious and easy to access. The check-in process was smooth. I arrived more than three hours ago thinking that it will take time.”

Another traveller, Neha Sujanani, a businesswoman said, “I am in Oman for the last 36 years. It is great to catch a flight on the first day. I am leaving for Mumbai. I will explore the lounge area which is world class. Muscat Duty Free too has many options.”

Isa Mourad who was leaving for Bahrain said, “I arrived yesterday [Monday] via the old airport and am now exiting via the new one. I had heard that the new Muscat airport will start operations on March 20 and booked tickets accordingly.”

The new airport has a capacity to handle 20mn passengers annually. Terminals have state-of-the-art facilities while the baggage handling section is fully automated. Several self-service check-in kiosks are also present to aid passengers.