IOR/R/15/6/92

Folios 1-12 in the file are dated 1941-1942 and include correspondence between the Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force, Iraq and the Political Agent, Muscat regarding the combination lock for the Royal Air Force (RAF) petrol store at Masirah Island. These folios together with the file notes found in folios 159 and 160 seem to have been misplaced from another file numbered II/13-3 (c), and inserted in this file.

The rest of the file (ff 13-158) with file notes (ff 161-170) contains the actual correspondence that belongs to file number '2/15 Masirah and Salalah Air Fields (Charter Flights).' The correspondence is dated 1947-1948 and it is mainly related to the procedure required in order to obtain the Sultan of Muscat and Oman’s permission for charter flights to fly over his territories, and to use the landing grounds for refuelling, as in accordance with the Muscat Air Agreement. The main charter flights to use the landing ground facilities were Ethiopian Airlines between Addis Ababa and Bombay, and Indian Airways between India and East Africa.

The file also includes correspondences related to: the development of the airfields at Salalah and Masirah; the availability of land rescue facilities along the South Arabian Coast; and the Sultan’s request for customs duty to be paid by the RAF at Masirah and Salalah for the supply of aviation fuel to civil aircrafts.

The main correspondents in the file are: the Royal Air Force Headquarters, Iraq; the Political Agency, Muscat; the Political Residency, Bahrain; the British Consul General, Addis Ababa; the Foreign Office, London; the Ministry of Air Aviation, London; the Commonwealth Relations Office, London; and the Government of India (Independent India).