Oman Airports continues efforts to provide exceptional traveling experience for passengers and airport users

On the sidelines of the COMEX 2023 Exhibition, Oman Airports signed the 2^nd phase of its collaborative agreement with Vodafone to provide the fifth generation “5G” services at Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport.

The agreement will improve internet services and other communication services at these two award-winning international airports in Oman, and comes as Oman Airports continues its efforts to enhance overall operational efficiencies. With this strategic agreement renewal, Vodafone remains the first and only provider of 5G services at Oman Airports.

The agreement was signed at the Vodafone pavilion at the exhibition in the presence of His Highness Marwan bin Turkey Al Said, Governor of Dhofar. It was signed by Sheikh Aiman bin Ahmed al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports, and Eng. Badr bin Saud Al Zidi, CEO of Oman Vodafone.

Speaking about the agreement, Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports, said: “A top-class traveller experience through our airports is among our top priorities. We always seek to provide the best services and technologies to make our passengers’ travel experience as smooth, convenient and enjoyable as possible. We are today signing the 2nd phase of the agreement which will provide a 24-hour ultra-fast network serving passengers, airport users and employees.”  

Al Hosni added: “The 5G network services in the 2nd phase will cover more premises at Muscat International Airport and new spaces at the Salalah Airport buildings. This will enhance network performance via the new 5G service, and also provide super-fast calling services, allowing passengers and all users to benefit from these secure, fast services when sending data and completing tasks online. In the future, the 5G service will further enhance the travelling experience via augmented and virtual reality, and advanced applications for guiding passengers and providing flight information. It will also offer greater productivity opportunities for the various teams working at these airports.”  

The new phase implemented by Vodafone includes the provision of 5G services to Oman Air’s Business and First-Class lounges, Majan lounge, Prime Class lounge, the Aerotel Hotel at the airport, and the three wings leading to the gates. The first phase was devoted to completing work in the passenger terminal building, the southern and northern parking lots, and the southern and northern employee buildings. Meanwhile, the work to launch the service at Salalah Airport is nearly completed. It is hoped that work will be completed on all airport facilities before the end of the third quarter of this year.

The 5G technology is also necessary to support surveillance and security systems at airports. The network will enable the use of high-resolution camera technologies, remote sensing systems, and smart analysis to enhance airport security and provide effective monitoring of movement and passenger flows. 5G networks can also serve as the basis for emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and drones inside airports, improving baggage handling performance, and security monitoring; all of which enhance overall operational efficiency.

Badr bin Saud Al Zidi, CEO of Oman Vodafone, on his part, stated: “We’re proud of our long-term partnership with Oman Airports, through which we’ll continue to provide the visitors the best services, leaning on our 5G technology. We’ve been working, since the beginning, on offering a totally different concept in leading the technology sector in the Sultanate and maximizing the use of our unlimited and advanced 5G network. This new phase in our strategic partnership journey is a reflection of our successful approach and a big drive to continue our efforts in providing the best digital services for Oman.”

It is worth noting that Oman Airports launched the 5G network in cooperation with Vodafone Oman at Muscat International Airport in December 2022, making it one of the few airports around the world that provides the latest 5G internal communication networks. The 5G network is ultra-fast, with a peak speed of up to 5,000 MB, enabling the user to download a high-resolution HD movie in just one minute or receive about 300 video calls at once. By employing Ericsson’s latest technical solutions, the Radio Dot system will ensure Muscat International Airport’s readiness to embrace Vodafone’s future 5G network developments with ease.