Cargolux adds Muscat
22 / 06 / 2013
CARGOLUX has added booming Muscat as a new destination in its hi-tech B747-8 network.
The new service means that Oman has become the 79th Cargolux destination with the nose-loading super-efficient freighter.
Last year, Oman announced the transformation of Muscat International Airport into an international gateway and airfreight logistics hub and the development of a new cargo terminal, capable of handling 260,000 tonnes annually, with a further planned expansion to 500,000.
The construction, stretched over three phases, includes an increase of warehouse space from 7,000 to 34,000sq m. The current terminal has reached its maximum capacity of 100,000 tonnes.
“This direct service to Oman meets customer demand on the back of the country’s economic expansion and diversification and a sustained need for oil and gas equipment and spare parts,” notes Domenico Ceci, Cargolux’s vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and central Asia.
“Other import commodities on Cargolux’s Muscat flights include perishables, live animals and general cargo,” Ceci adds.
Peter Hoslin, senior manager of airline marketing at Oman Airports Management Company, notes: “Cargolux will benefit from and contribute to the fast-growing Muscat cargo market which has increased more than 70 per cent since 2008. We saw a strong 15 per cent growth in 2012 and expect the positive trend to continue in 2013."