Muscat Seeb Airport

✅ Trip Verified | What a shame! Brand new airport open less than 2 months, yet no-one knows how to run it! I witnessed security flaws, toilets that were located down emergency exits with no way-finding, none of the self-service check-in desks were open, only out of 10 check-in counters staffed, 45 immigration counters, only 5 were open, queued for 20 mins to get visa as only 3 out of the 12 desks were open. Dirty floors, bad way-finding and after speaking with staff, they only allowed approx 16 weeks for trials instead of the recommended 52. Spent more time on the ground after flight than the actual flight time, as no stand ready, had to wait 24 mins, then another 10 mins as pax from previous flight were still on the airbridge, number of pax missed connections. Oman Air staff not happy at all. Really poor show from Oman Airports. No doubt they will get it right, but a great opportunity to get it right from the start, yet not a good pax experience. The same all over the Middle East: All show and no substance!

✅ Trip Verified | This new airport is peaceful and inviting. Having said that transit security is undersized and a dog eat dog fight - which is a shame. The staff appear a bit confusede. If they iron out how to run it (eg no announcements at gate - like a herd of humans rushing) it will be awesome. Wifi free - but you need a working phone so thats a fail for international transit passengers. Great chairs for sleeping on. Even big rocks to climb like goats.

✅ Trip Verified | Very long queues for transit passengers to get into our connecting flights. The system could be improved to make the transfer easier. The toilet design could be improved too. Staff are not helpful, why cant Oman Air book a seat from Dubai? Why do we have to go to transfer desk in Muscat to collect our boarding pass which makes our journey slower.

✅ Trip Verified | Long term parking is very expensive. The payment machine is not reliable sometimes it does not work. The staff are not cooperative - they are engaged with their phone to check their message or chatting with others. Careless behaviour. They are not aware of SOPs, process, airport information, flights and can not address your query correctly.

✅ Trip Verified | Muscat airport must be among the worst world-wide in this size group. Lines are endless and chaotic everywhere – at the entrance security check, the check-in, emigration, second security screening etc. On the way in, you need Buddhist patience before you get your passport stamped. Bring ample food and drinks if you plan to queue for a visa on arrival! The airport is extremely overcrowded. It is next to impossible to find a place to sit in a public area or even in the departure lounges. The Duty-free shop is half decent, but a Subways crowns the food offering.

❎ Not Verified | The airport is probably the worst organised that I have ever visited, and boy I have been through a few. Two hours of queuing first to buy a visa and then to get through the immigration desks, faced with a small number of staff completely inadequate for the number of arrivals and who in any case were not at all interested in providing any sort of service, just taking money and conducting their social life. Rudeness, lack of interest, inefficiency. My advice is to take you business or your holiday somewhere else, where your custom will be valued.

❎ Not Verified | Most possibly the worst experience ever on a transit. I was flying from Doha transfer in Muscat to London. The queue to board the plane was painful. It was an early morning flight at 1.30, I had a sleeping 5 year old. We were waiting in the queue for at least 45 min all the while my son was carried by my husband. To make the matters worse, there are security checks again near the gate (bear in mind I already had security check in Doha). We had to wake my son up so he could walk through the security gate barefoot because we all had to remove our shoes. I bought a water bottle from inside the airport and was told to throw it away as it was not allowed, even after my protest that the water was bought from their own duty free they were not having any of it. After all that we go through to a small 10x10 waiting room and everyone is boarding the bus to go to the plane. I then get asked for my boarding card again when it was shown literally a minute before at the security gate. No wonder there was such a long queue. Security is important but that was a bit too much. The lady that asked for the boarding card saw us presenting the card at security. I won’t even mention the cleanliness of the airport because it was so bad. I felt like I was in a third world country.

So disappointed and so inconvenienced! We get our boarding pass, we go thru customs, we go thru security and then we walk to the end of the airport to our gate - gate 22. We have 90 minutes before our flight departs and our gate is roped off. We are not able to enter to sit at the seats! Neither are gate 20/39/21/23/24. Basically all the gates at this end. People are crowding around, sitting on the floor when all of these seats at all of our gates are empty. Yes, we asked the employees. No, we cannot go and sit in the seats. We will not be allowed to enter our gate until we board, so what is the point of all of these empty seats. I took pictures if anyone is ever the least bit concerned about poor customer service.

Arrived from Bahrain. Very long taxi from runway to the remote parking stand (no piers at this airport). You buy your visa on arrival at the Travelex Bureau De Change. Passport control has got much slower with absolutely no sense of urgency. Suitcases scanned before leaving Baggage Hall. Arrivals Hall has usual selection of car rental, hotels, coffee shops etc. Check-in fairly straightforward then Passport Control (slightly quicker leaving) followed by a quick hand luggage scan. There seems to be a lack display boards announcing flights to there was a steady flow of airport officials calling flights and encouraging people to the correct gate. Duty Free has the usual selection of alcohol, cigarettes, purfumes, watches/gifts. There are a number of different eating opportunities scattered around. Boarding is via buses to the remote stands which seem to take longer than was needed. It will be interesting to see what the new airport is like when it opens.

We were travelling in a group. Our flight route was JED to KUL via MCT. Arrived at MCT early in the morning and our next flight to KUL was during the night. We had a half day tour around MCT before our next flight. Immigration on arrival at MCT is painfully slow considering only around 50 people (two groups including ours) queuing up with almost all immigration counters open. Immigration officers seems lazy and it takes almost an hour to clear. The same thing happens during departure. In fact an immigration officer at one of the counters seemed to be purposely inspecting the passports slowly, while at the same time looking around aimlessly and chit chit-chatting with her colleague at the next counter. Disappointed with the attitude and service provided by the officers. Would consider not to travel via MCT ever again.