Oman shows highest increase in ticket prices across GCC over past year

Muscat: Despite average ticket prices in Oman showing the highest increase across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, flight tickets in the Sultanate are still among the cheapest among the six nations.

Average ticket prices in Oman jumped by nearly 28 percent between the first half of this year and the first half of the previous year, according to a new travel report put out by travel companies Cleartrip and Flyin.

This means that while the average price of a flight ticket in Oman was $239 in the first half of 2019 (OMR 92), it was only $192 (OMR 74) last year. Nevertheless, the average cost of a flight ticket in Oman remains one of the cheapest across the GCC, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

“In 2019, average airfares in the region rose overall, Oman increased by 28 percent, while Kuwait increased by 4 percent, the lowest in the region,” said the report. “After a year of fluctuations, air fares in the region continued to increase during the first half of 2019.”
After Oman, the highest increase in the price of a flight ticket was seen in the UAE, where ticket prices rose by 10 percent, to reach an average price of $279 or OMR 107, followed by Bahrain, which increased by nine percent, posting a price rise which reached $297 (OMR 114).

The cost of booking a flight ticket from Kuwait also rose by four percent to touch $279 (OMR 107). In Saudi Arabia, domestic ticket prices decreased by one percent, while the cost of international travel increased by eight percent, with the average cost of ticket in the kingdom setting travellers back about $206 (OMR 79), making it the cheapest country in the GCC from which to book tickets.

However, ticket prices in Qatar decreased by about 16 percent, from $351 (OMR 135) last year to $303 (OMR 117) this year.