The complete, player curated guide, for MCT
Edited by: @Thatflyerguy , @Hirohitoswaifu , @ukplanespotter757, @carlsberg72
Current through WoA 2.6.3
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Muscat International Airport
(IATA: MCT, ICAO: OOMS)
(Graphics above courtesy of LeChonk)
General Info:
Muscat International Airport, formerly known as Seeb International Airport due to its location between both Muscat and Seeb, is the largest in Oman and is home to the flag carrier, Oman Air as well as SalamAir. It is the only Middle Eastern airport in the game, and the only one situated in a desert environment. It is the major international airport of the country and is one of only 3 airports which see international flights, the other 2 being Sohar and Salalah.
The airport was opened on 1st January 1973 due to the previous Bayt al-Falaj Airport, situated further east close to Muscat’s old town and founded in 1929 for the RAF, being too small and dangerous for the modern airliners of the age. It was originally built with only the Southern runway and with the now demolished Terminal 2 situated to the South of that where the current cargo stands are, as well as where the Royal Flight terminal and Royal Air Force of Oman base is located. The original terminal lacked jetways and had space set aside to provide for both Royal Air Force of Oman and Royal Air Force fighters, transports and tankers to operate from for the end of the Dhofar War and for the Gulf War in 1991.
The original Terminal 2 was expanded in the late 1980s and early 1990s to accommodate more flights, however, by the early 2000s it was clear that the airport needed to expand. The plan for the new Terminal 1 was much larger than required but allowed for expansion in the future, as well as including a new control tower and the Northern runway beginning in 2007. By 2018, the new terminal was ready for commercial use and opened its doors on 18 March 2018 with the first aircraft being an Oman Air flight from Najaf in Iraq. Both runways are capable of handling the AN-225 and the terminal can handle the A380 and 747-8i with ease. The airport as of 2024 was the 15th busiest in the Middle East based on passenger numbers
Unlock Requirements: reach level 54 at SAN or 12 Gold Planes
Airport overview
The airport features 2 operational parallel runways with 26L and 26R with a centrally located Terminal 1 between the runways and the cargo stands situated to the South of the complex.
First image (Featuring the now demolished Terminal 2 as the default view once loaded in - This is where you begin - image courtesy of ukplanespotter757)
My view, I’ve only just begun the airport (You begin with these 6 stands),
Here is a map of the airport (Courtesy of Geo),
Cameras
Aircraft categories and expected arrivals
All aircraft categories are accepted at MCT. Airlines are mostly Middle Eastern or Asian, with the majority of flights being Oman Air, SalamAir as well as other regional carriers.
A and B planes: There are no local DHC-6s, which are the only A-class aircraft. You will find some B-class planes, although they are mostly regional or international - the only locals are the Oman Air E170/E175. Regional B Class come from Saudia’s E170, Iraqi’s CRJ9, India with several airlines, Royal Jordanian’s E175, Georgian’s CRJ2, PIA’s ATR and Egyptair’s E170.
C and D planes: The most common aircraft at MCT are A20Ns and 737s, of course. Specifically, Oman Air operate B738/F’s and 8MAX’s, whilst SalamAir operate A20N/A21N aircraft with A321F’s too. Regionally, you will find more 737 and A320 family aircraft, as well as large numbers of Embraer’s from Middle Eastern nations and A220s can be found from Europe and Iraq. For D-class planes there are a fair few 767 livery options available with the 767-400 able to be got as a United contract from Guam. 757s are fewer and further between but you can collect the European ones like Monarch as well as it being the only location you can collect all 5 Condor 757-300s as they’re unavailable in Europe and can’t reach North America or CNN. A300s can be collected from Europe and Asia providing an interesting crossover for different types and liveries you can’t get at any other airport. MD-11’s are available both in pax form and freight from most airports.
E, F, and G planes: MCT is fairly unique in the fact that the whole world is available from te airport allowing it to have player connections to all playable airports and routes from all world countries with an airport. All E class types can be found wherever in the world the originate as well as all F Class liveries from 747-8’s and A380s (The devs have kindly allowed gulf nations to fly their A380s on the short hop to the airport). G Class is the AN 225 which is an event or player aircraft but MCT has the stand to accommodate the aircraft.
Local contracts:
Stand costs and terminal unlock costs
Stand costs are standard, A=2,000, B=4,000, C=6,000, D=8,000, E=10,000 F=12,000 & G=14,000.
Terminal costs
Terminal costs are as follows:
Limitations
MCT is known for its epically long taxis, although that has eased a bit with the introduction of the second landing runway.
MCT can also get a backlog which blocks the Northern cargo stands above the Southern runway as takeoffs are dispersed between both the main terminal and the Southern remote stands and cargo stands which halves the takeoff speed compared to the Northern runway. You can end up with additional cargo aircraft stuck in a queue trying to get to their stand.
Recommended strategies:
@Thatflyerguy suggests: find a good player to contract with. MCT and IAD are the only two airports in which every playable airport can be reached.
@Hirohitoswaifu suggests: Invest early in the cargo stands as you get a good mix of Oman B738F’s and SalamAir A321P2F’s from local contracts, which provide more xp and wollars than the first passenger options which are most likely Oman Air E170’s which provide poor wollars and xp for levelling up and SalamAir A20N’s which aren’t too bad but are about equal to the Oman Air B738F’s and worse than the SalamAir A321P2F’s.
The cargo aircraft are also cheaper to purchase from the contracts menu so are a worthwhile early investment.
I’d also purchase the North spur of the terminal as soon as you can to split passenger arrivals between both runways.
Other information
MCT will unlock LEJ on level 65.
Credit to Geo (@TechnocraticAviation) for the airport maps
Old images
