Muscat International Airport awards ground handling licences

Muscat International Airport in Oman has awarded two ground handling contracts to Swissport and an Oman Air and Menzies Aviation joint venture.

Following a four month selection process, Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) signed two ground handling contracts with Swissport International and an Oman Air and Menzies Aviation joint venture. The two companies will provide ground handling services to Muscat International Airport for a 10-year period, beginning January 2017. The agreement makes Oman only the second nation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to employ two instead of one ground handling operators.

10-year ground handling contracts at Muscat International Airport

The CEO of OAMC, Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni highlighted the importance of the agreement, “Aligning with our vision to be ranked among the top twenty airports in the world by 2020, it is our pleasure to announce these strategic partnerships with Swissport International and the Oman Air / Menzies Aviation joint venture. Swissport was appointed after a stringent vetting process where we examined the commercial, operational and financial viability of the partnership. After months of careful deliberation we are pleased to welcome Swissport to Oman, a company that through its focus on quintessential Swiss quality, is one of the world’s leading providers of ground and cargo services.”

With the new Muscat airport terminal opening, there is likely to be a passenger growth between five and ten percent with people travelling from Russia and other European countries. It is hoped that the competition will enhance quality and reduce costs.

“For OAMC, it is important to be operating at maximum efficiency as we gear up for the launch of the new Muscat International Airport terminal. This will truly be a world-class gateway to the beauty and opportunity of Oman, and it is a key project within the Government’s economic development strategy. The airport will also position the Sultanate as a modern and attractive hub for travelers transiting through the region. With the increased quality and efficiency as a result of two ground handling operators, Muscat International Airport will surely be in good stead to become one of the world’s leading airports as per OAMC’s 2020 transformative strategy,” added Aimen Al Hosni.

New Muscat International Airport terminal

The agreement follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Oman Air and global passenger, ramp and cargo services provider Menzies Aviation. Under the terms of the MoU, the two companies will enter into a joint venture partnership for the provision of ground handling services in all commercial, cargo and military airports across Oman.