Salalah International Airport (IATA: SLL, ICAO: OOSA) is the Sultanate of Oman's secondary international airport after Muscat International Airport. It is located on the Salalah coastal plain in the Dhofar Governorate, northeast of Salalah's city centre. The airport features flights to regional destinations as well as a few intercontinental charter services from Europe. The airport recently won the Skytrax 5-Star Regional Airport Rating for its excellence in management and service. History Early years An airfield was established at Salalah in 1935 by the British Royal Air Force for operations in support of the Sultan of Oman. Aircraft based there operated during the Jebel Akhdar War between 1954 and 1957, and the Dhofar War between 1962 and 1976. The British presence at RAF Salalah ended in 1977. Salalah Airport opened as a civilian facility in 1977. Initially, it only handled domestic flights from Muscat and a few chartered flights to UAE or Qatar. Oman Air Services (OAS) began services to Salalah in 1982 and the inaugural flight of Oman Air arrived from Muscat in April 1993. Co-located with the civilian airport is a military airbase of the Royal Air Force of Oman called RAFO Salalah. In 2003, Salalah Airport got the status of an international airport. Oman Air began scheduled services to Dubai from Salalah in 2003, leading to increased passenger traffic while other Gulf carriers operated flights only during the Khareef season. The following year, Air India commenced operations to Kozhikode and then to Cochin, making it the first airline to operate non-seasonal international flights to Salalah. Since 2003, the airport experienced increases in passenger traffic and civilian aircraft traffic. The area is a popular tourist destination for both local citizens and foreigners, especially from July to September when the Asian monsoon touches the region commencing the start of the Khareef season, making it an unusually attractive location within the normally arid Gulf region. Currently is considered the second most important airport in the country. Development since the 2000s In 2011, planning and construction began for the new state-of-the-art Salalah Airport. The move was made by the Ministry of Transport and Communication to further boost the city's tourism sector as well as to cater to the growing number of passengers flying to-and-from the city. Deals were signed with more than 20 different construction companies to complete the International Airport in deals worth $854 million. COWI A/S-Larsen Joint Venture had been