Oman passenger traffic falls in H1 2026, Emiratis remain top visitor source

Oman recorded 6,276,117 air passengers in the first half of 2026, a 9.3% decline from the same period in 2025, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The total number of flights to Muscat International Airport, Salalah Airport and Sohar Airport dropped 10.7% to 38,203.

Muscat International Airport handled 41,022 flights, down 8.3%, and 5,688,276 passengers, down 8.8%. Indian nationals were the busiest at Muscat with 173,156 travelers, followed by Omani (125,560) and Bangladeshi (47,822) passengers.

Visitors from the United Arab Emirates remained the largest source of international arrivals, with 491,503 Emirati travelers in the first half of 2026. India ranked second with 382,015 visitors, while Germany was the leading European market with 68,771 arrivals.