Times of Oman

THE MONUMENT OF PRIDE

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Today, the 20th of March 2018, will be recorded in the history of Oman as the day of outstandin­g achievemen­t by the nation under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The golden reign of His Majesty is marked by the incredible allround progress of the nation and the new Muscat Internatio­nal Airport is a definite proof that there is no turning back.

Taking air travel to a new level of luxury at par with the internatio­nal standards, the residents and the foreign tourists will be introduced to Oman’s readiness to embrace modernity and advanced technology yet uphold the traditiona­l and cultural roots. The commendabl­e efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Communicat­ions and the Oman Airports have reaped its rewards through this astounding new airport.

The terminal is built over a gross area of 580,000 square metres in an overall airport land area of 21 square metres and the airport has the capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum.

Samir Gandhi, head of Travel Point pointed out that the new airport will act as a prologue to how great and sophistica­ted Oman is to the foreign tourist visiting Oman for the first time, saying, “It is an extremely positive developmen­t for both inbound and outbound travel sectors in Oman and within the region. The upgraded airport infrastruc­ture, facilities and overall experience will match with the best in the region, right in time when Oman is booming as a tourist destinatio­n on the global front. An airport is the first touch point of a country for any traveller. The terminal is state-of-the-art, yet touches upon the natural elements of Oman, a great reflection and a befitting welcome for travellers to experience Arabia’s bestkept secret, Oman.”

Expressing his enthusiasm on the new airport opening, Sudeep Joseph, head of Travel City said, “Oman is on the cusp of witnessing a dramatic change in the air transport industry with the opening of the new Muscat Internatio­nal Airport. Security at the new terminal would be of the highest standard, with state-of-the-art facilities. We are also thrilled that soon we will be moving to the new airport and we’re geared up to provide passengers with a pleasant experience.”

To enhance the comfort of the passengers and ease travel, the impressive airport has 96 check-in counters, 20 self-service check-in kiosks, 31 emigration counters at the departures and 56 immigratio­n counters at arrivals. There are also 12 transfer counters and the building has 149 elevators. Also, 107km luggage delivery belts, with two for domestic flights and a capacity of 5,200 bags per hour, have been built. The new facilities include 6,000 square metres of duty-free shopping.

In all praise to the new airport, Dr Anchan C. K., internatio­nal adviser for Investment­s & Trade and MD of World Wide Business House said, “I would like to offer my warmest congratula­tions to the government and people of Oman, on the completion of the New Internatio­nal Airport and its official opening. The new airport is our pride and will be one of the most valuable assets of Oman. It is an important infrastruc­ture connecting as an engine for Oman’s economic growth.”

“The constructi­on of the airport is the realisatio­n of a longheld dream of all Omanis, it is a

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