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Oman: Major Construction Works at All Airports Continue

Global Arab Network - - Amina Murtada

Friday, 18 March 2011 19:11

Oman (Muscat) - Sheikh Said bin Ali bin Nafal al Mashali, Undersecretary of the Transport and Communications Ministry for Civil Aviation Affairs said that the construction works at all airports are continuing despite the events witnessed by the country. The agreements for the implementation of the projects are still valid as most of the projects are in the construction stage.

In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he pointed out that more tenders for the airport projects will be offered during the current year. He affirmed that the construction works at the internal airports will be completed in 2013, as per the pre set plan.

He added that the Sultanate has a strategic vision to diversify sources of income, build civil aviation infrastructure and construct new airports to be geographically distributed on the Sultanate's parts. Besides Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport, we have now four domestic airports.

In reply to a question on the construction stages at the airports, he said that the construction work in Sohar Airport has reached the second stage represented in the construction of runways and side ways. The third pack, which includes the passengers' terminal, has been floated in this year. As for Adam airport, the first and second packs were already completed. The third pack for the tender is underway. The second packs for Ras al Hadd and A'Duqum airports have been floated.

He pointed out that the airports underway in the different parts of the Sultanate will generate many permanent job opportunities, in addition to 1200 job opportunities after the operation, besides the jobs that will be availed by the other apparatuses, such as, police, security and the companies operating at the airports. He affirmed that there is a project to Omanize and train national cadres between 2010 and 2018 in coordination with the respective departments.

He pointed out that work at Muscat International Airport has already initiated with the reclamation of the land project, the construction of rain water discharge canals, compacting the soil and the rock materials, in addition to transferring some of the services already inside the airport land.

"Due to the size and sophistication of the project works and to get the specialized companies, works have been divided into a number of packs that have been floated in tenders, some of them already initiated while others are under award stage. The work at the airport is expected to be completed by 2014, he furthered.

"The capacity of Muscat International Airport at the first stage will be 12 million passengers, which will be increased at the second stage to 24 million passengers and 48 million passengers at the third and fourth stages', he added.

Sheikh Said bin Ali bin Nafal al Mashali affirmed that the increase in the air movement at Muscat International Airport ranges between 17% to 20% annually and that the rate will increase after opening the domestic airports and the expansion of Oman Air.

As for Salalah Airport, he pointed out that the Ministry is about to unveil the agreement of the airport after getting it directly signed with the contractor who has already mobilized, constructed offices and temporary accommodation. He pointed out that the airport will be ready in 2013 and that it is one pack.

He also said that the capacity of Salalah Airport will be 1 million passengers per year and affirmed that the plan developed by the Transport and Communications Ministry states that the capacity of the airport will range between 6 to 10 million passengers per year in the future.

He also pointed out that Salalah Airport was opened before the international flights and that it receives many flights from the Indian subcontinents, Scandinavian countries and Europe during the winter season and from the sisterly countries during Khareef Festival season.

He affirmed that the Sultanate sought to benefit from the experiences of the international airports. To this end, The Sultanate signed an agreement to Munich airport to benefit from its experience in the operational and transit mobilization stages for Muscat and Salalah airports.

He pointed out that the Civil Aviation Affairs Department currently prepares a plan in coordination with the sisterly and friendly countries to open alternative air paths to reduce the congestion on the current paths and expand the air paths. ‘When the plan is implemented, the Omani air spaces will witness many flights and paths which will result in good returns for the Sultanate, he concluded. (ONA)

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