The new passenger terminal at Muscat International airport is expected to enter full operations on 20 March, according to Oman Transport and Communications minister Ahmad al-Futaisi.

MEED understands all incoming and outgoing flights will be transferred from the existing terminal to the new one starting 20 March.

The revamped airport will be able to handle the largest aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 aircraft models.

It is understood the old terminal will be used for low-cost carrier (LCC) operations.

MEED earlier reported that the airport operator, Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), has been conducting trial flight operations from the new airport since December last year. The trial flights operations are conducted in partnership with Germany’s Munich Airports, which is delivering the airport’s operational readiness and airport transfer (Orat) services.

Muscat International processed over 14 million passengers in 2017, marking a 16.7 per cent increase compared to the 12 million figure reported the previous year.

The new terminal has been under construction since 2010 and was initially expected to be completed in 2014.

A team of Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Company and Turkey’s TAV Construction won the $1.17bn infrastructure works package for Muscat airport in 2007. A joint venture of US-based Bechtel, Turkey’s Enka  and the local Bahwan Engineering Company won the $1.8bn contract for the construction the airports’ passenger terminal buildings and related facilities in late 2010.

Designed by France’s ADPI, the new Muscat International airport has a capacity to handle up to 12 million passengers a year. Succeeding phases of the airport expansion plan entails bringing the airport’s capacity to up to 48 million.

The first stage covered 580,000 square metres and features 86 check-in counters, 10 baggage claim belts, 40 gates for both departure and arrival, 29 lounges, 29 aircraft stands with jet-bridges as well as a new control tower.

Last year, OAMC awarded US-based DHL with a cargo handling contract for Muscat International.