The problem is not the Flight Operation department in Oman Air. Flight ops people are not to fault with the situation that Oman Air created for itself. Meaning the legal mess and the loss of reputation. Their decisions could not affect any of this situation. Regarding, the terminations they have also been put in a difficult situation which they have not caused. I am sure they feel bad also for the people that were terminated.
Two problems, the first one is how the foreign pilots and cabin crew were not given their their correct salaries and then how they were terminated in a bad way. The second one, how Oman Air has treated its customers, by running a scheme to sell tickets for flights that everybody knew would not take place, and then refuse a refund until after one year. The way both of this areas were handled was illegal under Oman law and highly immoral too. But all this issues are not the fault of Flight Operation.
A fish always rots from the head down and the head of this fish has been out of the water for too long. The CEO has become invisible. Yes, no more weekly silver notes, maybe he is hiding under a rock these days, we can only guess the reasons. Or he ran out of silver... although he probably still has some big boxes of silver left over. Now the HR and finance side of the company is a ship without a captain. Some new and some old people want to get ahead, some also dislike foreign staff and think we should just be a pure Omani company. Well, maybe that is true or maybe not, but as long as a single foreigner works for Oman Air, we have to treat him correctly and with responsibility. And we have to treat our customers with Omani hospitality, not like thieves.
Of course there are good decision makers in HR and finance also but they have perhaps not thought things through all the way. I am sure they even knew what happened was wrong but were too weak to stand their ground. What are the people in the legal departmet doing? Nobody knew salaries cannot be changed by management decision? Nobody knew that we cannot steal from customers? Maybe the decision makers listened to the accountants, who know everything about accounting, but nothing about accountability. But it is all wrong. I am very ashamed personally, mostly the loss of reputation for our company and country and the wrong behaviour. I hope this has come to the attention of His Majesty. This problem can only be fixed if we treat the problem at the root by having strong moral leadership in the company. But not if we steal and hide from colleagues and customers, and hoping for business as usual.
The Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said this
“Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so — for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” Sura Al-Ahzab 33:35
I hope some decision makers in Oman Air will remember their faith and the responsibilities to the country, company and people in their actions, so we can restore our reputation and once again be proud.