Seeb International Airport
Encyclopedia
Muscat International Airport (formerly Seeb Airport) is the main airport in Muscat, Oman
. It is the hub for the national carrier Oman Air
. The distance from Old Muscat is 30 km and it is 15 km from the main residential localities. At the moment the airport is being expanded and modernized. The airport will be upgraded to 12 million-passenger capacity during the initial stage and subsequently to 48 million. The initial stage is scheduled for completion in 2011. The airport was renamed on 11 February 2008 from the previous name, Seeb, to Muscat International Airport.
and a new runway
that can handle the new Airbus A380
. It will include a new control tower
with a height of 101 meters, 32 aerobridges, a new cargo termial to handle 200,000 tons of cargo annually, and extra 6,000 car spaces. The new terminal will be built between the two parallel runways. The new terminal building will have a net floor area of 290,000 sqm. Once the construction of the new runway is completed, upgrade work will progress on the existing one, in order to allow it to handle the larger aircraft
.
The first phase of the airport expansion, the new terminal building, is expected to be completed by 2014, which will have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers a year. The final phase, which will expand the airport to handle 48 million passengers a year, is expected to be completed by 2015.
Several site preparatory steps are underway. Work to protect the airport and the runways from water damage that occurs during the very rare rains is the first phase. The grounds are raised by three meters for this purpose, by driving 10-12 million cubic meters of desert sand and crushed rock into the site.
On 8 August 2008, Cowi Group has announced that the designing phase of the airport has reached a major milestone which allows the construction of the new terminal to start in early 2009
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
. It is the hub for the national carrier Oman Air
Oman Air
Oman Air is the national airline of Oman. Based on the grounds of Muscat International Airport in Muscat, it operates scheduled domestic and international passenger services, as well as regional air taxi and charter flights. Its main base is Muscat International Airport. Oman Air is a member of...
. The distance from Old Muscat is 30 km and it is 15 km from the main residential localities. At the moment the airport is being expanded and modernized. The airport will be upgraded to 12 million-passenger capacity during the initial stage and subsequently to 48 million. The initial stage is scheduled for completion in 2011. The airport was renamed on 11 February 2008 from the previous name, Seeb, to Muscat International Airport.
Expansions
The expansion project for the airport will include a new modern terminalAirport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
and a new runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
that can handle the new Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
. It will include a new control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
with a height of 101 meters, 32 aerobridges, a new cargo termial to handle 200,000 tons of cargo annually, and extra 6,000 car spaces. The new terminal will be built between the two parallel runways. The new terminal building will have a net floor area of 290,000 sqm. Once the construction of the new runway is completed, upgrade work will progress on the existing one, in order to allow it to handle the larger aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
.
The first phase of the airport expansion, the new terminal building, is expected to be completed by 2014, which will have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers a year. The final phase, which will expand the airport to handle 48 million passengers a year, is expected to be completed by 2015.
Several site preparatory steps are underway. Work to protect the airport and the runways from water damage that occurs during the very rare rains is the first phase. The grounds are raised by three meters for this purpose, by driving 10-12 million cubic meters of desert sand and crushed rock into the site.
On 8 August 2008, Cowi Group has announced that the designing phase of the airport has reached a major milestone which allows the construction of the new terminal to start in early 2009
Airlines and destinations
Cargo airlines
Airport Statistics
| Year | Total Passengers | Freight (tons) | Total Aircraft Movements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,720,983 | 68,639 | 38,184 |
| 2001 | 2,697,032 | 73,078 | 38,955 |
| 2002 | 2,450,422 | 46,934 | 39,555 |
| 2003 | 2,886,487 | 48,630 | 42,330 |
| 2004 | 3,461,982 | 67,151 | 43,622 |
| 2005 | 3,778,578 | 76,043 | 44,445 |
| 2006 | 4,777,747 | 99,582 | 53,695 |
| 2007 | 4,218,498 | 77,391 | 58,903 |
| 2008 | 4,002,121 | 58,000 | 58,346 |
| 2009 | 4,558,838 | 64,452 | 56,084 |
| 2010 | 5,751,516 | 96,390 | 67,160 |