✈️ Business Aviation Traffic Surges at Muscat, Reshaping Middle East-Caucasus Route Landscape
Avi-Go data shows that from March to April 27, 2026, business aviation movements at Muscat International Airport (OOMS) reached 377 operations, a year-on-year surge of 269.6% compared to 102 movements in the same period of 2025, with March alone recording a peak of 296 movements. Meanwhile, Queen Alia International Airport in Amman (OJAI) saw movements plummet from 79 in the same period of 2025 to just 36, a decline of 54.4%. These two sharply contrasting trends reflect a deep restructuring of business aviation traffic flows across the Middle East. The Caucasus corridor is simultaneously undergoing a structural redistribution: movements at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku (UBBB) have continued to decline from 313 in February 2026 to 235 in April, a cumulative drop of 24.9%; Tbilisi International Airport (UGTB), meanwhile, climbed from 68 movements in February to 113 in March, narrowing the traffic gap between the two airports from 4.6 times to 2.7 times, a compression of 41%. Notably, UGTB recorded 140 departures versus 127 arrivals during the same period, a net difference of 13 movements, exhibiting the hallmark characteristics of a transit hub. VistaJet leads as the most active operator at both OOMS and OJAI with 29 movements.
Impact: The traffic surge at Muscat means OOMS ground handling, hangar resources, and FBO services are facing short-term capacity pressure, while Tbilisi's strengthened role as an alternative transit node will directly intensify competition for slot availability and ground service demand at UGTB.
Recommendation: Operators should complete a review of ground handling agreements at both Muscat and Tbilisi before May 2026, prioritizing the securing of peak-period slots. At the same time, operators should closely monitor changes in UGTB's net departure flow to assess the sustainability of its role as a long-term transit node, enabling dynamic adjustments to route planning.