Ras al Hadd Airfield

Replacement and Redundancy. The old, basic airfield was closed to make way for the construction of the modern Ras Al Hadd Airport (ICAO: OORH). This was part of a national strategy by the Omani government to develop regional airports to boost tourism and economic development in the Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate. The old facility was inadequate for modern commercial aircraft and tourism goals.

The site of the original airfield (OM-0006) is now defunct and has been fully integrated into the footprint of the new, much larger Ras Al Hadd Airport (OORH). The old runway is still partially visible on satellite imagery but is unused and non-operational. The entire area is now occupied by the modern airport's 4,000-meter runway, taxiways, terminal building, and support infrastructure.

The original Ras al Hadd airfield was a strategically important military airstrip. It was initially used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and later by the Sultan of Oman's Air Force (SOAF), which became the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). Its primary role was logistical support, transport, and maritime surveillance, given its strategic location at the easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. It was a basic facility, likely with a gravel or lightly paved runway for much of its history, supporting rugged military transport aircraft like the de Havilland Caribou and Britten-Norman Islander.

There are zero prospects for reopening the original airfield (OM-0006) as it has been permanently replaced. The focus is entirely on the new Ras Al Hadd Airport (OORH). While OORH was physically completed around 2018-2019 and is in a state of operational readiness, it has not yet commenced scheduled commercial passenger services. The Omani government and Oman Airports are seeking to attract airlines to begin operations to serve the region's tourist attractions, such as the Ras al-Jinz turtle reserve, but a definitive start date for commercial flights has not been announced.