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      War disruption hits Oman airport passenger traffic

      Passenger traffic at Oman’s main airports fell in the first eight months of the year as the US-Iran war disrupted regional aviation and tourism.

      The airports at Muscat, Salalah and Sohar handled 9.3 million passengers between January and August, down 7 percent year on year, state-run Oman News Agency reported, citing the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI). Flight movements fell 9 percent.

      The figures include arriving, departing and transit passengers.

      The decline adds to pressure on Oman’s tourism industry as the country seeks to attract more international visitors through its Vision 2040 economic diversification programme.

      In March, during the early days of the Iran war, Muscat International Airport could operate a limited number of commercial flights and became a lifeline for evacuees from the Gulf.

      Two Omani airlines also began offering bus transfers from the UAE to Muscat for travellers stranded in the Emirates.

      Despite the conflict, Oman signed investment agreements worth $130 million in April to build an “airport city” around Muscat airport and boost revenues.

      “Our focus is to attract new aviation markets that can support tourism growth and economic activity to increase revenues,” Saud Al Hubaishi, chief operating officer at Oman Airports, told AGBI in April.

      Further reading:

      The conflict has also affected regional airports. Figures from Dubai International Airport for the first six months of 2026 showed declines in passenger traffic and aircraft movements.

      In September, Airports Council International said the Middle East recorded the sharpest decline of any region between January and June, with traffic down 21 percent due to the US-Iran conflict.

      By the end of August, international flights across Oman’s three airports totalled almost 54,000, down 9 percent year on year, according to the NCSI.

      Muscat International Airport reported a 7 percent decline in flights and an 8 percent fall in passengers through the end of August.

      Under Vision 2040, the sultanate aims to expand its tourism industry and attract 11 million visitors a year.

      The country’s three- to five-star hotels recorded a double-digit revenue drop in the first half of 2026 as fewer travellers arrived from Arab countries and Europe, NCSI data shows.


      Source: AGBI
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