The expansion of Salalah Airport is part of a strategic offensive to develop Salalah as a tourist destination. The town is located 1,000 km south of the capital Muscat, and with a much cooler climate during the summer months, it's a magnet for both Omanis and other Arabs.

A new state of the art passenger terminal building is planned for Salalah with a capacity to handle 1 million passengers annually by 2013, the terminal to be relocated to the north of the runway is designed in the first phase to cater for 1 million passengers per year, rising to 4 million passengers per year in subsequent expansions.

The new passenger terminal will have a floor area of 35,000 m2 and 8 passenger boarding air bridges, the design has made allowance for an increase in future passenger numbers, the terminal will also have a car park capacity of 1,900.

The project also includes upgrading the existing runway and taxiway system which will be able to accommodate large aircraft types such as the Airbus A380, as well as all the accompanying installations.

The project will contribute significantly to the country’s economic development and future prosperity, as well as attract greater numbers of tourists, business travellers and airlines directly to Salalah.

Salalah Airport has been conceived as a new international gateway to Dhofar Governorate. It will also serve as an international and domestic hub for sea cargo in conjunction with the Port of Salalah and Salalah Free Zone.

A key feature of the modernization plan for Salalah includes an air cargo terminal equipped to handle 100,000 tons per year in the first phase, rising to 400,000 tons in future expansions.

Project Architects and Consulting
January 2005, the government of the Sultanate of Oman awarded a contract to a joint venture consortium between Cowi & Larsen Architects and Consulting Engineering for the design and supervision of the new terminals at Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport. The proposed new terminal at both Airports will come in line with the government’s commitment to establish infrastructure facilities that can keep pace with the world markets.

Project Management
July 2006, French Engineering and Infrastructure specialist Airport de Paris Ingenierie (ADPi) was awarded the prestigious contract to provide project management consultancy services linked to the development of Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport.

The Paris-based group of Architects and Engineers specializes in the design of passenger terminals, cargo terminals, control towers and aircraft hangars. In Oman, ADPi will be supported by National Engineering Services Pakistan & Partners (NESPAK), a leading Engineering Consultancy which has undertaken the design and supervision of a number of major infrastructure projects within the Sultanate.