Muscat-Seeb (OOMS/MCT) 2014

[T7]

Work brought me to Muscat this week so why not combine work with the hobby..I booked the City Center Hotel which is located west of the airport.
After arrival Sunday evening I obtained the necessary visa (5 Rial for 10 days stay) and took the taxi to the hotel. Short ride it is and will cost you around 7 Rial. 1 Omani Rial is 1,9 euro right now.

While booking the hotel, I asked for a high floor room facing the highway (emailed them again a day before my arrival) and was not disappointed. Fourth floor and higher than that is not possible. Roomnumbers you need on that side are 402-404-405 and 406 so ask for that if you go. Same on 3rd floor are ok but a bit lower of course. Although views on the highway, no problems with the noise I must say..401 is on the left corner and I think it is a suite facing the airport as well.

Airport is not very busy but nevertheless some nice aircraft can be seen. Views from the hotel to the runway 08-26 are rather distant. Everything can be seen landing/taking off but using the sbs would be nice. I sometimes used my scope (45x) to read off the aircraft on the Air Force-ramp but even in this 'cooler' times heathaze could prevent that. One window can be opened a bit as breaking index of the glass can be not so nice for reading.

Muscat is using one runway with the small terminal on the southside. Most stands are on the apron so pax need to be bussed. In the middle of the field they are working on the new huge terminal, V-shaped towards to the hotel. Also from the hotel the new runway can be seen at your lefthand side, 08L-26R it must be. This runway is located more to the west than the old runway so views from the hotel will be better once they are using it (in 2016 runway and new terminal will be operational..).

Most of the time, they were landing/taking off towards the west, only couple of hours this week they were using it the other way around and aircraft lining up can be read off with 20x-scope. The tinted windows of the hotel are a bit dirty, must be the sand I think.

Next to the hotel is the Muscat City Center. A big mall with 150 shops including a foodcourt on the ground floor. So if you want to take the family with you, here is where they can spend some time (and money..). And on walkingdistance. Food is not so expensive, a BigMac menu costs 2 Rial.

Ok, now for the numbers. Except Oman Air with A330, B737, ERJ170 and ATR42 the following locals were seen:

Oman Air Force
A320: 554/555/556
Gulf4: 557/558
C130: 503
C295: 901/902/903
BAC1-11: 551/553 (stored on their ramp)

Oman Police:
CN235: A4O-CU/CV
ERJ175: A4O-CX

Oman Royal Flight:
747: A4O-OMN
A319: A4O-AJ
A320: A4O-AA
G550: A4O-AE

Although I do not any military stuff, there are 5-6 F16's parked on the mil-ramp, sometimes they even fly in formation of two. Also seen were a few helicopters, most of them belonging to the Oman Police.

Halfway parked between runway 26 and the hotel is PIA 737-300 AP-BEH after its problem-landing last year. Still complete, no titles and saw some people entering the exitdoors over the wing. During this week even the engine cowling was sometimes open. Its fate is probably the scrapman soon.

Other traffic seen these days..
12 January:
LX-VCG 747-800F Cargolux
A6-EIA A320 Etihad
VT-IFW A320 Indigo

13 January:
N396NS G4
VP-BZL 737-800
HZ-KSRD BAe125
A6-AAG CL605
VT-JGP 737-800 Jet Airways
VT-AXH 737-800 Air India Express
84008 C130 Swedish AF (left this morning)
S2-AFW A310 United Airways Bangladesh
VT-SZI 737-800 SpiceJet
VT-SCU A319 Air India
A6-EID A320 Etihad

14 January:
A6-EII A320 Etihad
AP-BHN ATR42 PIA
KW3556 ERJ145AEW Indian AF (I was very happy with this early visitor this morning!)
HZ-AEO ERJ170 Saudi Arabian
20-1101 747-400 JASDF
A6-EIZ A320 Etihad

15 January:
4R-ABJ A320 SriLankan
S3-AGD C130 Bangladesh AF


The regs above are the ones I needed only.
There is of course more to see like Emirates, Gulf Air, FlyDubai, Qatar Aw, Kuwait Aw, Etihad, SpiceJet, Indigo, Air India, Air India Express. In the evening it is a bit busier with traffic while some Europeans come in like Swiss A330, BA 777 and KLM A330.