Introduction
It is with Allah’s guidance and amidst broad societal consensus that Oman’s vision for the future, “Oman 2040” is developed, in line with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the vision is relevant to the socio-economic context and objectively foresees the future, to be recognized by the Sultanate as a guide and key reference for planning activities in the next two decades in Oman.
“Oman Vision 2040” outlines a transformative roadmap aimed at achieving economic diversification, sustainable development, and global competitiveness through innovation, strategic investment, and human capital advancement. Central to this vision is the development of a robust and integrated transport and logistics sector (particularly in air transport) which plays a pivotal role in connecting Oman to international markets, stimulating tourism, and enhancing trade flows.
Since, Oman’s air transport demand is growing in line with Gulf trends (with Muscat International Airport handling nearly 9.8 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024), and the national growth in tourism (e.g. Salalah’s khareef season traffic grew 6.8%) which is surging (a record 4.0 million visitors in 2023) and looking forward to reach ~9.8% of GDP by 2034, The government has launched major Integrated Tourism Complexes and airport expansions to support this growth. Furthermore, the aviation industry in Oman is identified as a high-potential sector that can drive national growth by leveraging technology, fostering public-private partnerships, and promoting the policy known as Omanisation. The following feasibility study explores the opportunities, challenges, goals, operational proposal and strategic considerations associated with establishing a modern airline (so-named MuscatAir) that aligns with these national priorities, positioning it as an enabler of Vision 2040’s goals across economic, infrastructural, and societal dimensions.
MuscatAir will be tightly aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040 economic pillars – especially tourism, logistics, non-oil diversification, human capital development and the omanisation policy.
MuscatAir aims to increase air connectivity to key source markets (e.g. Middle East, Europe, SE Asia, China), helping retain tourist spending in Oman rather than “leaking” through other hubs. This strategic alignment is explicitly recognized in Oman’s aviation strategy, the government’s 2030 plan calls for improved air connectivity, integration with tourism, and increased local workforce participation. This also supports Oman’s logistics strategy which indicates that the country aims to be a global logistics hub by 2040 for which, air cargo can facilitate throughput targets. MuscatAir’s cargo network will complement Oman’s free zones and Special Economic Zones supporting non‑oil growth.
In sum, MuscatAir’s business plan directly advances Vision 2040 goals by stimulating tourism and trade, creating high-value jobs, and maximizing employment of Omani nationals in aviation (Omanisation).
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Introduction
It is with Allah’s guidance and amidst broad societal consensus that Oman’s vision for the future, “Oman 2040” is developed, in line with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the vision is relevant to the socio-economic context and objectively foresees the future, to be recognized by the Sultanate as a guide and key reference for planning activities in the next two decades in Oman.
“Oman Vision 2040” outlines a transformative roadmap aimed at achieving economic diversification, sustainable development, and global competitiveness through innovation, strategic investment, and human capital advancement. Central to this vision is the development of a robust and integrated transport and logistics sector (particularly in air transport) which plays a pivotal role in connecting Oman to international markets, stimulating tourism, and enhancing trade flows.
Since, Oman’s air transport demand is growing in line with Gulf trends (with Muscat International Airport handling nearly 9.8 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024), and the national growth in tourism (e.g. Salalah’s khareef season traffic grew 6.8%) which is surging (a record 4.0 million visitors in 2023) and looking forward to reach ~9.8% of GDP by 2034, The government has launched major Integrated Tourism Complexes and airport expansions to support this growth. Furthermore, the aviation industry in Oman is identified as a high-potential sector that can drive national growth by leveraging technology, fostering public-private partnerships, and promoting the policy known as Omanisation. The following feasibility study explores the opportunities, challenges, goals, operational proposal and strategic considerations associated with establishing a modern airline (so-named MuscatAir) that aligns with these national priorities, positioning it as an enabler of Vision 2040’s goals across economic, infrastructural, and societal dimensions.
MuscatAir will be tightly aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040 economic pillars – especially tourism, logistics, non-oil diversification, human capital development and the omanisation policy.
MuscatAir aims to increase air connectivity to key source markets (e.g. Middle East, Europe, SE Asia, China), helping retain tourist spending in Oman rather than “leaking” through other hubs. This strategic alignment is explicitly recognized in Oman’s aviation strategy, the government’s 2030 plan calls for improved air connectivity, integration with tourism, and increased local workforce participation. This also supports Oman’s logistics strategy which indicates that the country aims to be a global logistics hub by 2040 for which, air cargo can facilitate throughput targets. MuscatAir’s cargo network will complement Oman’s free zones and Special Economic Zones supporting non‑oil growth.
In sum, MuscatAir’s business plan directly advances Vision 2040 goals by stimulating tourism and trade, creating high-value jobs, and maximizing employment of Omani nationals in aviation (Omanisation).
