Special facilities for Haj pilgrims at Salalah and Muscat airports

MUSCAT: Pilgrims travelling to perform Haj in the holy city of Mecca will be extended special treatment at the Muscat International and Salalah Airports to make their travel experience easier.

During departure, the Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) will ensure, in coordination with airport security officials, that a Haj-specific security check is installed for only Haj travellers.

There will also be six check-in counters dedicated solely to the pilgrims’ needs in order to avoid congestion and mix-ups with regular travellers. A special team will be available to assist the pilgrims with their documents and facilitate procedures for them in order to ensure a smooth flow of operations, in addition to the ground staff assisting the disabled.

As they are leaving the gate, the staff will also distribute some basic necessities among the travellers, which they might need during their pilgrimage, as well as a Haj guidebook. On returning to both the Muscat International and Salalah Airports, after successfully performing Haj; there will be dedicated counters for the travellers to ensure smooth immigration procedures, as well as transit areas.

The travellers will be greeted with offerings of coffee and Omani halwa (a sweet) by the airport staff after they complete immigration procedures and before entering the Duty Free zone. Ground staff will also be increased at the baggage claim counters to assist the arriving Haj travellers and to ensure a fluid flow of passenger traffic throughout the airport.

Rise in traffic

In other related news, passenger traffic transiting through the Muscat International Airport increased by 26 per cent in July this year to 1,084,437, up from 863,636 during the same month last year. Civil aircraft movement also rose by 11 per cent, with 8,974 aircrafts arriving at the airport, compared with 8,106 last year.

At the Salalah Airport, a 29 per cent surge was recorded in July this year for passenger movement. 133,654 passengers moved through the airport, compared with 103,497 a year ago. “To be among the top 20 airports of the world by 2020”