Iran Conflict Cuts Muscat Airport Passenger Traffic Nearly 40% in March

Gate News message, April 22 — Passenger traffic at Muscat International Airport, Oman's main hub, fell nearly 40 percent in March 2026 compared with January 2026 due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran and subsequent airspace closures across the Gulf region. International passenger arrivals dropped from 1.2 million in January to 728,588 in March, according to data from Oman's National Center for Statistics and Information cited by the Oman Observer.

Flight operations also declined sharply, with the number of flights falling from 7,594 in January to 5,515 in March. Despite regional disruptions, Oman kept its airports operational, with state-backed Oman Air and budget carrier Salam Air providing ground transport from Sharjah to evacuate stranded tourists from the UAE. Combined passenger traffic in the first quarter of 2026 fell 2.4 percent to 2.86 million from 2.93 million in 2025.

Looking ahead, Oman signed $130 million in investment agreements this month to develop a new "airport city" around Muscat International Airport. In March, the government completed its acquisition of SalamAir to streamline the aviation sector. Under its 2040 strategy, Oman aims to handle over 40 million passengers annually, transport about 1 million tonnes of air cargo, and raise aviation's contribution to GDP to more than 3.5 percent. Muscat International Airport handled 11.8 million passengers in 2025, accounting for 80 percent of Oman's total 14.9 million passengers.