Salalah International Airport

Salalah International Airport (IATA:SLL, ICAO:OOSA) is the Sultanate of Oman's secondary international airport after Muscat International Airport. It is located on the Salalah coastal plain in the Dhofar Governorate, 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) northeast of Salalah's city centre. The airport features flights to regional destinations as well as a few intercontinental charter services from Europe.

Salalah International Airport

مطار صلالة
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment
OperatorOAMC
ServesSalalah, Oman
LocationAr Rubat Street (13.9 km from Salalah City)
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL73 ft / 22 m
Coordinates17°02′20″N 54°05′32″E
Websitesalalahairport.co.om
Map
SLL
Location of airport in Oman
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
07/25 3,997 13,114 Asphalt
Source: GCM[1] Google Maps[2]

History

Early years
Airfield defences at RAF Salalah in 1972 during the Dhofar War.

An airfield was established at Salalah in 1935 by the British Royal Air Force for operations in support of the Sultan of Oman.[3] Aircraft based there operated during the Jebel Akhdar War between 1954 and 1957, and the Dhofar War between 1962 and 1976. The British presence at RAF Salalah ended in 1977.[4]

The original civilian buildings at Salalah Airport.

Salalah Airport opened as a civilian facility in 1977. Initially, it only handled domestic flights from Muscat and a few chartered flights. Oman Air Services (OAS) began services to Salalah in 1982 and the inaugural flight of Oman Air arrived from Muscat in April 1993.[5] Co-located with the civilian airport is a military airbase of the Royal Air Force of Oman called RAFO Salalah.

In 2003, the Salalah airport got the status of an international airport. Oman Air began scheduled services to Dubai from Salalah in 2003, leading to increased passenger traffic while other Gulf carriers operated flights only during the Khareef season. The following year, Air India commenced operations to Kozhikode and then to Cochin, making it the first airline to operate non-seasonal international flights to Salalah.[6] Since 2003, the airport experienced increases in passenger traffic and civilian aircraft traffic.[7] The area is a popular tourist destination for both local citizens and foreigners, especially from July to September when the Asian monsoon touches the region commencing the start of the Khareef season, making it an unusually attractive location within the normally arid Gulf region.

Development since the 2000s

In 2011 planning and construction began for the new state-of-the-art Salalah Airport. The move was made by the Ministry of Transport and Communication to further boost the city's tourism sector as well as to cater to the growing number of passengers flying to-and-from the city. Deals were signed with more than 20 different construction companies[8] to complete the International Airport in deals worth $854 million.[9] COWI A/S-Larsen Joint Venture had been the main consultant on the project, which was later taken over by HILL INTERNATIONAL LLC.[10]

The Salalah Airport is planned to cater to one million passengers in the first phase. Also the construction of a second, 4-km runway is scheduled for the new airport.[11] The airport's current runway will also be expanded to cater to the largest of aircraft, as well as the construction of a new parallel taxiway to the north.[12] The international airport will also feature a 65,000 sqm passenger terminal building with car parking for up to 3,000 vehicles and a 57-meter high ATC Tower .[8][11]

Design of the airport takes into account future development projects and allows expansion to cater for up to six million passengers per year, if required.[13]

The new Salalah airport commenced operations in June 2015, with an Oman Air flight from Muscat becoming the first airline to arrive at the new airport. However, the new airport was officially opened in November 2015. The old airport situated to the south of the new one has since been transformed into a domestic and emergency airport.

Facilities

The new international airport has been marked as having more extraordinary facilities than the old airport. A new Duty Free service has been started by a private company in association with the OAMC. Many food counters have been providing services since its opening. Oman Air placed a new lounge opposite to the airside and gates in the new terminal for Business Class, First Class, and Economy Class passengers who are Gold and Silver Sinbad Service Card holders. The airport has a rating from passengers that it is providing an effective lounge and Duty-Free services. The new airport has four aerobridges with an air conditioning facility. It is expected that the new terminal will help to boost not only the city's tourism but also the local and international passenger movement.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi,[14] Sharjah
Air India Express Kochi, Kozhikode[15]
Blue Panorama Airlines Seasonal charter: Warsaw–Chopin[16]
Enter Air Seasonal charter: Katowice,[16] Poznań[16]
Etihad Airways Seasonal: Abu Dhabi[17]
flydubai Dubai–International
flynas Seasonal: Riyadh [18]
Gulf Air Seasonal: Bahrain
Neos Seasonal: Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino, Verona
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo[19]
Oman Air Dubai–International, Muscat
Qatar Airways Doha
SalamAir Abu Dhabi,[20] Jeddah, Muscat, Sohar
Smartwings Seasonal charter: Prague[21]
Smartwings Slovakia Seasonal charter: Bratislava[22]

Statistics
YearTotal passengersTotal freight including mail in tonsTotal civil aircraft movements
20181,386,994 [23]979 15,518 [24]
2017 1,485,635 1,327 17,511
2016 1,198,846 1,563 10,703
2015 1,027,578 1,350 10,293
2014841,970 [25]1,799 8,571[25]
2013746,994 1,417 7,944
2012629,305 1,335 6,175
2011513,278 1,366 5,520
2010455,297 1,283 5,085
2009426,503 1,284 5,045
2008407,788 1,129 4,248
2007337,679 1,110 4,079
2006288,700 1,441 4,215

See also

References
  1. Airport information for OOSA at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. "Salalah International Airport". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. "Royal Air Force Operations in Oman, 1918-1939". www.rafmuseum.org.uk. Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  4. "Oman and the Cold War". www.rafmuseum.org.uk. Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  5. "History". Oman Air. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  6. "Your Gateway to Oman". Omanairports.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  7. "Oman Airports". Oman Airports. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  8. "New Salalah airport to handle 2 million passengers". Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  9. "Muscat Airport terminal ready by end of 2013". ConstructionWeekOnline.com. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Salalah Airport, Oman". COWI. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  12. "Salalah International Airport, Salalah". Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  13. "Oman's airports offer opportunities". Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  14. https://aaco.org/media-center/news/aaco-members/air-arabia-abu-dhabi-introduces-flights-to-salalah#arContent
  15. "Express schedule". airindiaexpress.in. 18 October 2018.
  16. "air and charter tickets". itaka.pl.
  17. https://www.etihad.com/en-ae/about-us/etihad-news/archive/2019/etihad-airways-announces-new-seasonal-routes-to-alexandria-and-salalah/
  18. Liu, Jim. "flynas S20 Network Expansion". Routesonline. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  19. "300 tourists flight, Salalah Airport receives the first direct flight from Russia". salalahairport.co.om. 15 October 2019.
  20. "Salam Air network expansion in S19". Routesonline. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  21. "Smartwings adds scheduled Salalah charter in W18". www.routesonline.com. 18 October 2018.
  22. "Travel Service Slovakia adds Salalah in 1H18". routesonline.com. 24 October 2017.
  23. https://www.paca.gov.om/files/statistics/monthly-summary-2018.pdf
  24. https://www.ncsi.gov.om/Elibrary/LibraryContentDoc/bar_Salalah%20Tourism%20Season%202018_cd6d3227-31d1-47cb-97f8-b8d6b1416a73.pdf

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