Civil aviation sees 65% revenue drop in 2020

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) saw revenues drop by 65 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year due to disruption of air travel in Oman and across the world as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the authority’s annual report, its total revenue was RO38,793,553 in 2020 compared to RO109,725,484 in 2019.

‘The fall in revenues was due to the exceptional circumstances that the world is going through because of COVID-19, which imposed restrictions on travel and suspension of air traffic and closure of airports for a long period during the year 2020,’ the report stated.

Revenue from air navigation fees decreased by 54 per cent, to RO28.9mn, and other airport fees decreased by 75 per cent due to the decrease in passenger traffic. Revenue from airport facilities franchise also decreased by 86 per cent.

According to the report, the year 2020 witnessed an increase in the number of airline permits by six per cent, reaching a total of 10,643, compared to 10,053 permits in 2019. It also witnessed an increase in the number of diplomatic permits by 29 per cent to 2,232 in 2020 compared to 1,734 in 2019.

The total number of passengers travelling through airports in the sultanate (Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Duqm) in 2020 was 4,565,676 compared with 17,750,697 in 2019 - a drop of 74.3 per cent. The number of flights fell by 70 per cent from 132,719 in 2019 to 39,353 in 2020.

Muscat International Airport witnessed a 75 per cent fall in passengers in 2020 compared to 2019, and aircraft movement fell by 68 per cent.

Domestic flights at Muscat International Airport fell by 61.1 per cent to 3,991 in 2020 and domestic passengers fell by 65.1 per cent to 390,396.