Beit Al Falaj Airport
Bait
Al Falaj Airport, dating back to 1929, was nothing but a dirt track
landing strip, mainly put to use for military purposes. It was
additionally being utilized by the Petroleum Development Oman Company
for its aircraft, flying between Muscat and oil exploration fields in
Fahud, Qarn Al Alam and other locations.
Bait Al
Falaj Airport was the first airport in Oman, fitted with limited
equipment and facilities to serve as a civilian airport. It had a
Communication Centre, a Customs Office, asphalt parking for aircraft and
a maintenance shed, with theses modest facilities, the airport was
able to play a small part in the advancement of civil aviation in
Oman.
In the sixties Gulf Air started using the airport for its
DC3 aircraft, with the advent of the seventies Pakistan and British
Airlines commenced operation in Oman with semi regular passenger
flights. Although Bait Al Falaj Airport was used mainly for military
purposes in addition to a few civilian flights, takeoffs and landings
were fraught with dangers due to the narrow landing strip and high
mountains and hills around the airport area.
Bait Al Falaj
Airport is now just a memory, the site of the airfield is now the
centre of modern commercial and residential buildings.
Seeb International Airport
Oman
has been expanding steadily since 1970, when His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos bin Said came to power and introduced a programme of economic
reforms, boosting spending on health, education and welfare.
Recognising the need for a new airport to support the anticipated
growth in passenger and cargo movements, a contract was placed by the
government in September 1970 for the construction of Seeb Airport now
Muscat International Airport.
Situated approximately 32
kilometres west of the city Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of
Oman, it was officially inaugurated on 23rd December 1973. The
following year, to demonstrate that the airport could accommodate the
world`s fastest commercial aircraft, Concorde landed during the flight
test programme.
By the end of the first year, approximately
87,200 passengers has passed through the airport, the airport handled
4.7 million passengers in 2006, an amazing growth the primary reasons
for growth are the expansion of Oman`s tourism and business sectors.
In
1983, the airport saw major expansions in the arrival and departure
terminals and a new transit hall that included several duty free shops.
The current cargo terminal was completed in 1991 with modern
facilities on par with other international airports.
A
consortium comprising of British Airport Authority (BAA), Bahwan
Trading Company and ABB Equity ventures assumes the management and
development of Muscat and Salalah Airports effective from January 2002,
on a 25-year concession deal as part of the privatisation plan for
both airports, Oman Airports Management Co. was formed.
November
2004, the government of the Sultanate of Oman reassumes the
management and development of Seeb and Salalah Airports, the government
of the Sultanate of Oman and the partners of Oman Airports Management
Co. could not reach an agreement on the financial basis for the
development of the new terminal at Muscat International Airport, Oman
Airports Management Co. is maintained with a change in the shareholding
of the company.
Muscat International Airport
The name
Seeb International Airport was changed to Muscat International Airport
on 1st February 2008, the new name focuses on Muscat, the city whose
name is historically associated with the country which is known
worldwide.
The necessary approvals for the change of name has
been obtained from the International Civil Aviation Organization,
hence Muscat International Airport will propagate globally.
