Bayt al-Falaj Airport

Bayt al-Falaj Airport (Arabic: مطار بيت الفلج) was an airfield in Bayt al-Falaj that served as the first airport in Oman; it was used by the Royal Air Force and by the Royal Air Force of Oman.^[1]

Bayt al-Falaj Airport مطار بيت الفلج
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military/Defunct
Owner	Sultanate of Oman
Location	Muscat, Oman
Opened	1929
Closed	December 31, 1972
Coordinates	23°35′41″N 58°33′01″E
Map
Bayt al-Falaj Airport Location in Oman

History

Bayt al-Falaj Airport was founded by Said bin Taimur and was established in 1929. It was used by the Royal Air Force and by the Royal Air Force of Oman, as well as civilian airlines like Gulf Aviation. The aircraft of Gulf Aviation that operated in Bayt al-Falaj were Short SC.7 Skyvans, De Havilland Doves, and similar planes.^[2][3] The aircraft managed by government operators included Short SC.7 Skyvans, Douglas DC-3s, and similar planes on the airfield.

Gulf Aviation ended up filing for bankruptcy in 1974 and merged with Gulf Air in the aftermath, being a shared airline owned by the governments of Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi (later UAE).

The Bayt al-Falaj Airport stopped operating flights in 1973 and was replaced by Seeb International Airport.^[4][5] With all airport operations ceased, the airport's runway was later converted to a driving school.^[1]

Facilities

Bait Al Falaj Airport had some, but not well-developed, facilities. It had a communication centre and a customs office.^[6]

The airport also had four taxiways and one runway that was originally sand/dirt but later was upgraded to asphalt.

Air Services

The Petroleum Development Oman operated flights at the airport, as well as Gulf Aviation, Pakistan International Airlines, and British Overseas Airways Corporation.

PIA flew Fokker F27 Friendships to the airport from Gwadar, meanwhile Gulf Aviation operated DC-3 flights.^[6]

Reason for Closure

The airport was closed because of the mountainous terrain around it, and of course, it was too small for Muscat.