Indra wins €85 m contract to modernise Oman’s airports and air traffic control systems

The company will become the strategic supplier of the Sultanate, and modernise its aeronautical infrastructure. The contract represents a major success for Indra in its expansion into the Persian Gulf region.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communication of the Sultanate of Oman has awarded Indra the contract to install the new air traffic control system, which will provide coverage to the entire country. This contract is worth some €85 M (44.85 million Omani rials) and the execution period is 38 months. The new equipment will be installed in Oman’s main international airports in Muscat and Salalah, and in another four regional airports located in Sohar, Ras Al Hadd, Duqum, and Adam.

Indra competed with the main companies in the sector for this contract, which has made it the key supplier for this Arab Country, and responsible for modernizing the technology of its aeronautical management infrastructure. This turnkey project entails building an advanced, automated system for air traffic management, which offers air traffic controllers a comprehensive overview of aircraft movement within Oman’s airspace.

The system will have a contingency centre designed to respond to any incident and guarantee safety. Indra will also refurbish the earth-air voice communications systems in the two international airports and the four regional airports, ensuring the smooth operational transition from the current system to the future system. It will also install a complete weather forecasting system, which will improve the prediction capacity of the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation, providing among other services, support to the air traffic control centres and towers.

In the two international airports, the company will install surface guidance and control systems based on solid state surface movement radars. This equipment will allow both airports to operate with complete security in any weather and in conditions of low visibility. In addition, the company will enhance and retool the aeronautical message system linked to the international network and the digital systems used for air traffic information services. These systems support the coordination of international air traffic.

This tender represents a major step in Indra’s expansion into the Persian Gulf region, where the air transport sector is registering strong growth rates. The project is part of the Sultanate’s to transform itself into a leading tourist destination in the Gulf region. To this end, the Ministry of Transport and Communication have developed plans to build new airports and modernise and improve the existing air traffic control infrastructure, which will allow Oman to achieve its goal of increased tourism.