Muscat: According to preliminary data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information, nearly 8.5 million passengers travelled through Oman’s airports on over 63,000 flights, marking significant growth compared to last year.

Muscat International Airport, the nation’s busiest hub, recorded 7.57 million passengers by July 2024, reflecting an 8.9pc rise from the previous year. 56,498 flights, up 5.8pc, supported this growth. International flights accounted for 51,535 with 6.95 million passengers, while domestic flights totalled 4,963, carrying 621,955 passengers.

Salalah Airport also witnessed a strong uptick, with 827,486 passengers on 5,975 flights—a 10.3pc and 3.6% increase, respectively. International flights at Salalah totalled 3,088, while domestic flights numbered 2,887.

Sohar and Duqm Airports also contributed to the growth, with Sohar handling 45,126 passengers on 384 flights and Duqm accommodating 34,788 passengers on 362 flights.

The data also highlighted the top nationalities passing through Muscat International. Omanis led the count, with 216,690 passengers, followed by Indian nationals, 182,873, and Pakistani nationals, 46,885.

-B