National Aviation Strategy 2040:
A Roadmap for Sustainable, Competitive Aviation Future

Muscat,
26 Jan 2026 (ONA) — The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today, during its
media briefing in Muscat, reviewed the National Aviation Strategy 2040 and the
most prominent achievements it accomplished during 2025 in the fields of safety,
security, air navigation, meteorology, digital transformation, and the
development of the regulatory and operational infrastructure of the aviation
sector.

Eng. Naif Ali Al Abri, Chairman
of the Civil Aviation Authority, affirmed during the media briefing that the
National Aviation Strategy 2040 represents a comprehensive, long-term roadmap
for developing the civil aviation sector in the Sultanate of Oman. He indicated
that it aims to transform the sector from merely a means of transportation into
an active economic and developmental engine that supports diversifying the
national economy and enhances financial sustainability.

He
added that the strategy has set ambitious growth indicators to be achieved by
2040. These include receiving more than 40 million passengers, transporting
about one million tons via air cargo, attracting cumulative private sector
investments exceeding RO 1 billion, and raising the sector’s contribution to
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to more than 3.5 percent.

He
pointed out that the strategy’s implementation plan extends over 15 years,
distributed across three main phases: the first phase, “the Initiation and
Readiness Assurance phase,” during the period 2026-2027; the second phase,
“the Acceleration and Take-off phase,” for the period from 2027 until
2030; and the third phase, “the Soaring phase,” for the period from
2030 until 2040. He explained that the strategy was prepared according to an
integrated participatory approach with the involvement of more than 60 national
entities from within and outside the sector, in addition to engaging the
community through 70 meetings and specialized workshops to ensure the
initiatives align with the needs of the sector and society.

For
his part, Hamid Ahmed Al Barashdi, Director General of Strategic Planning at
the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The launch of the National Aviation
Strategy 2040 represents a pivotal milestone in the journey of developing the
civil aviation sector, as it is based on 9 fundamental principles that form the
foundation for a sustainable aviation sector. It will be implemented through 3
phases encompassing 39 initiatives aimed at enhancing safety, growing the
economy, building national competencies, stimulating innovation, digital
transformation, and sustainability.”

For
her part, Rawya Nasser Al Adawi, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation
Regulation at the Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed that the Authority
achieved advanced results in the field of aviation security during 2025. She
indicated that the Sultanate of Oman recorded a compliance rate of 94.4% in the
Universal Security Audit Programme with a Continuous Monitoring Approach and a
100% compliance rate for facilitation requirements. She noted that the
Authority signed 8 international air transport service agreements and held 21
bilateral negotiation meetings with a number of countries worldwide last year.

She
clarified that over 18,000 flight permits were issued for airlines, including
diplomatic permits, in addition to issuing 3,627 special permits for aviation
obstacles.

In
the field of air navigation, Eng. Saleh Abdullah Al Harthy, Director General of
Air Navigation at the Civil Aviation Authority, explained that the Authority
recorded a total air traffic movement of 643,069 aircraft during 2025,
including 585,357 aircraft transiting Omani airspace. He affirmed that these
numbers reflect the increasing international confidence in the efficiency and
security of Omani airspace.

He
added that Omani airports witnessed active traffic, with the number of
passengers reaching 15,213,150, reflecting the recovery of the aviation sector
and the growth in demand for air transport.

In
the field of meteorology, Abdullah Rashid Al Khadouri, Director General of
Meteorology at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The Authority
witnessed a qualitative leap in enhancing the meteorological and early warning
system during 2025, through the implementation of a set of strategic projects,
most notably the flood modeling index, the launch of the Oman Meteorology
website and its accompanying application, along with advanced weather maps for
numerical models with a resolution of up to 2.1 kilometers, in addition to
activating the unified warnings protocol mechanism.”

He
pointed out that during 2025, artificial intelligence technologies were
introduced for data analysis and issuing weather forecasts. In the same year,
the observation, forecasting, and early warning system witnessed notable
development, with the number of meteorological observation stations reaching 83
stations.

Regarding
the revenues of the Civil Aviation Authority, Hussein Salim Al Rahbi, Director
General of Support Services at the Civil Aviation Authority, explained that the
Authority’s revenues during 2025 exceeded RO 107 million, thereby recording the
highest actual collection in its history. This is a direct reflection of
financial management efficiency, improved business models, and maximizing
resource utilization.

For
his part, Mohammed Ahmed Al Yafee, Director General of Civil Aviation in Dhofar
Governorate, said that the Authority garnered several institutional awards
during 2025, reflecting its level of organizational maturity and quality of
performance. He added that these awards are the result of applying modern work
methodologies and enhancing a culture of continuous improvement within the
Authority.

In
response to journalists’ inquiries, officials at the Civil Aviation Authority
clarified that the completion rate of the aircraft maintenance building at
Muscat International Airport has reached 98% and it is expected to be
operational this year. Meanwhile, a tender for the construction works of Sohar
Airport will be announced, and most technical studies related to the Musandam
Airport project have been completed, with its executive plan to be approved
during the current year.

— Ends/AH