Masks mandatory for passengers at airport security checkpoints

Passengers will not be allowed to pass through security checks at Muscat International Airport unless they are wearing masks, as a precaution to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

In an advisory issued by Oman Airports, the company managing the airport in Muscat as well as other parts of the country, passengers were also asked to limit the numbers of hand baggage they carried with them, so as to avoid overcrowding and to keep lines moving smoothly.

The instructions were issued as part of the procedures put in place by Oman Airports ahead of the reopening of Muscat International Airport to commercial flights. Currently, only scheduled repatriation flights are allowed to land at the airport, when it comes to passenger aircraft.

As part of the procedures at checkpoints in the airport, Oman Airports will “provide hand sanitizer and disinfection products prior to passengers and staff screening check points (SCPs).”

Measures also include “Limitation of carrying hand baggage will avoid crowded situations at the SCP, and “maintaining physical distancing for both passengers and staff. Security staff will not handle the passengers unless they wear proper masks. Markings have been established on the ground within the queueing area to indicate the proper distancing.”

Other steps include the availability of dedicated staff to guide and manage the queue at screening points, and the rearranging of security checkpoint accesses and layouts will be taken in consideration for the future.

Staff and crew must also not pass through the same SCP reserved for passengers. Signage shall highlight the need for passenger cooperation throughout the screening process. Disinfection will be conducted frequently for touched/exposed surfaces and security screening equipment, including trays.