40 YEARS -
By Maurice Gent -
When His Majesty Sultan Qaboos came to power in 1970 visitors from abroad landed at the Bait al Falaj airstrip in the centre of Muscat. In 1969 when I first landed there in a small light aircraft, it was a question of avoiding the surrounding hills and mountains. Flying on to Salalah presented even more challenges.
I travelled in a Dakota, for many years a trusted friend in the world of air transport. This one went back to World War 2. It had been owned by president Eisenhower and West Germany's top man after the War, Conrad Adenauer.
Forty years on I travel between Muscat and London via Oman Air, which boasts a superb fleet of aircraft, the first airline in the world to offer an online Internet service while in flight.
Much of this progress has been in more recent years with the decision to set up Oman's own national airline, Oman Air, which boats a superb fleet of aircraft. It is now without doubt a global player with flights to the Far East, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, London, Paris and Munich.
Important in this anniversary year is that Oman Air is playing a significant role in pushing forward the whole economy and the development of the country.
The next big steps are the expansion of both Muscat and Salalah airports and the construction of regional airports at Sohar, Ras al Hadd, Adam and Duqm. These new airports will become a working reality in approximately four to five years. It will be well before we reach the landmark year of Vision 2020, set as a target date for many ambitious but attainable projects back in the 1990s.
The aviation industry in Oman is certainly well on the way to reaching its targets. In ten years time there will be an even more sophisticated nationwide airport infrastructure. This will also include much larger and sophisticated air terminals for passengers and traffic at both Muscat and Salalah.
All the new domestic airports will be serviced by aircraft with up to 72 seats with both business and tourist class sections. At least some of them will assist the tourists of tomorrow, giving them further opportunities to explore Oman, and make them realise that Oman is a sizeable nation in its own right, with a rugged attractive coastline and an array of ancient forts and castles throughout the land.
The growth of Oman Air will add both to Oman's economic potential and to its ability to attract the discerning tourist, who wants to do more than lie on the beach and soak in the sun.
The expansion of air traffic to and from Oman is placing a strain on existing facilities at Muscat airport, and there are plans already to start its upgrading and modernisation. This is expected to start before the end of this Anniversary year. Plans for the expansion of Salalah Airport are also at an advanced stage.
There can be no doubt that Oman Air, a company very largely owned by the nation, is playing a leading part both in the life of the nation and it’s future prosperity.