Muscat – Touted as the single largest infrastructure undertaking ever in Oman, the new Muscat International Airport has its goal clear: offering an enhanced passenger experience. From reducing the number of processing points, to a central baggage system, the airport promises to offer an advanced screening system as well.
According to the Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) the aim is to get the new airport in worlds’ top 20 list by 2020. While the opening date is yet to be revealed, Asma Yahya Saif al Dhakhri, head of security & quality control, OAMC told Muscat Daily what passengers can expect.
“We are thrilled that soon we will be moving to the new airport and we’re working on providing passengers a pleasant experience. Besides, the terminal facilities and services that will be second to none, we’re also enhancing the experience by reducing the number of processing points in a traveller’s journey and making necessary ones as smooth as possible.”
Asma added, “Passengers will experience a new central check-in system for baggage, where they will no longer need to take it through security upon arrival at the airport. The baggage will be sorted via the system until the ground handlers take over. This is a standard methodology used worldwide. It will ease the flow and eliminate the sometimes frustrating first touch-point which is security screening. The processes in the new building will be much more advanced.” Asma also highlighted the recent shift of priority in the industry.
“A few years ago the focus was on design which came with a high operational cost. Currently, the focus is on expediting processes. So, processing time at touch points will play a part in dictating the number of passengers an airport can handle.
“Both the new Salalah Airport and the new Muscat airport are participants of the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality, the global customer satisfaction benchmarking programme which sets standards to achieve an optimal level of service.” Asma is the first Omani International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) aviation security auditor as well as the first woman in the Middle East to have been given this title.