Oman inaugurates Salalah as second international airport

Oman’s Public Authority for Civil Aviation last month inaugurated the new Salalah Airport, which replaces the aging facility that began operations in the 1970s.

The new facility is Oman’s second-largest airport behind Muscat. It is equipped with a new runway, upgraded facilities, and a completely updated and modernized air traffic control system.

The airport’s expansion upgraded it from domestic to international status with new capabilities for handling larger airliners. The move makes Salalah Oman’s second entry-point for international visitors.

Salalah Airport’s new approach center and control tower are fitted with an advanced automated air traffic management system and a meteorological information system that improves the airport’s weather prediction capabilities. The upgraded technology will make it possible for the airport to grow and manage an increasing number of flights.

The new gear was developed by Indra, Spain's leading consulting and tech firm. Oman's Ministry of Transport and Communications gave Indra the task of overhauling the entire country's air traffic management structures in 2010.

Aside from air traffic control systems, Indra also developed a state-of-the-art airport management center for Salalah’s new air hub, which functions as a control center where airport authorities and police can coordinate passenger operations.

The airport management center monitors real-time data gathered by the various systems in the terminals. All the data collected by closed-circuit television cameras and other security systems are used to manage security and resources from one central location.