Muscat – Passenger traffic through Oman’s airports fell 9.3% in the first half of 2026, as international flights and traveller numbers declined across the country’s main aviation gateways amid a wider regional slowdown.

Around 6.28mn passengers, including arrivals, departures and transit travellers, used Oman’s airports till the end of June, compared to 6.92mn during the same period in 2025, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

The number of international flights arriving at and departing from Muscat, Salalah and Suhar airports dropped 10.7% to 38,203 from 42,778 a year earlier.

Muscat International Airport handled 5.69mn passengers, down 8.8% from 6.23mn in the first half of 2025. The number of international and domestic flights fell 8.3% to 41,022.

Indian nationals recorded the highest passenger movement through Muscat airport in June, with 173,156 travellers, comprising 76,271 arrivals and 96,885 departures.

Omanis ranked second with 125,560 passengers, including 54,222 arrivals and 71,338 departures. Bangladeshi nationals were third with 47,822 passengers.

Salalah Airport recorded the sharpest decline among the two main airports. Passenger traffic fell 14.6% to 561,532, while the number of flights decreased 12.8% to 3,945.

At Duqm Airport, domestic flights declined 10.5% to 274. Passenger numbers fell 13.1% to 26,127 from 30,070 during the same period last year.

Suhar Airport handled only 182 passengers, a 45.8% decline from 336. Flight movements dropped 9.5% to 76.

The figures indicate broad pressure on aviation activity during the first six months of the year, with declines recorded in passenger numbers and flight movements at all four airports.

Middle Eastern airlines traffic fall 14%

Globally, passenger traffic declined by 1.7% year-on-year in June, marking a third consecutive month of contraction as disruptions related to the Iran conflict and higher oil prices continued to weigh on demand. Traffic carried by Middle Eastern airlines fell 13.9%, an improvement from the 28.8% decline recorded in May, while the load factor was 76.3% (-2.6 ppt compared to June 2025). ‘The impacts of the Iran war continue to cause a highly negative year-on-year traffic comparison, but the rate of decline halved month-to-month since April,’ the International Air Transport Association said.