MUSCAT: During the ongoing Khareef season in Dhofar Governorate, Salalah Airport is witnessing a growth in the number of passengers.

The number of travellers who have arrived at Salalah Airport has crossed more than 315,000 passengers until August 13.

Salim bin Awad Al Yafei, Executive Vice President of Salalah Airport, said in a statement, “The number incoming and outgoing flights every week were 195.”

The official indicated that Dhofar Governorate has become one of the top tourist destinations in the Gulf region during the Khareef season due to its diverse environment with exceptional climate, terrain and natural diversity.

The airlines operating their flights to Salalah Airport during the autumn tourist season include the low-cost airline Wizz with two flights per week from Abu Dhabi, as well as Gulf Air with two flights per week from the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways operate 6 flights per week from Kuwait, along with Flynas and four flights per week from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

As for the companies that operate their flights throughout the year but increase the number of their flights during the autumn tourist season, include Qatar Airways currently operating seven flights per week, and Air Arabia operates 14 flights per week from the Emirates of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, while Fly Dubai operates six flights per week from the Emirate of Dubai.

Al Yafei explained that Salalah Airport is witnessing an active movement by the national carrier, Oman Air, which operates about 12 domestic flights per day, in addition to about nine domestic flights per day for SalamAir.

Salalah Airport had recorded an increase in the number of flights (international and domestic) in 2022 by 68.9%, reaching 2,743 flights until the end of May 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, according to statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information.