Muscat International Airport marks 50th anniversary

Muscat International Airport marks 50th anniversary

STAFF REPORTERMUSCAT: Muscat International Airport, formerly Seeb Airport, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday. The airport originally featured one passenger terminal building, one runway, and minor cargo and maintenance facilities.Netherlands Airport Consultancy Company (NACO) was awarded the design contract and the responsibility to supervise the construction, while Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas) Ltd was awarded the tender to build the runway, taxiways, and aircraft stands.The first phase of the airport would consist of preparation and construction of the runway, passageways, and aircraft berths.Three years later, on January 1, 1973, Seeb International Airport opened for operations.On September 23, 1973, the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said conducted official inspections of the airport himself before he officially inaugurated it on December 23, the same year.The late His Majesty the Sultan's private plane was the first aircraft with an Omani registration to land at the Seeb International Airport.During the expansion from late 2007, a new terminal and control tower were built along with a new runway as the new airport opened for traffic in 2018.The name of the Seeb International Airport was changed to Muscat International Airport on February 1, 2008.Facilities now include a VIP terminal for private jets and an onsite