Oman Air to start new flights
MUSCAT — Oman Air would start a direct flight to Chittagong in Bangladesh on May 1, to Lucknow on May 1 and to Jaipur (Rajasthan), India, on June 1.
Oman Air would be the first international flight to land in Chittagong.
This was announced by Ziyad bin Karim Al Haremi, Oman Air CEO, on the sidelines of the annual conference held yesterday at Shangri-La Hotel under the auspices of Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, chairman of Oman Aviation Services Co.
The conference was aimed at developing the level of performance of Oman Air terminals and review of the major achievements maintained during the last year and the strategies of the current year. A number of working papers will be delivered during the conference.
At a press conference later, Ziyad bin Karim Al Haremi said that Oman Air was planning to purchase a number of planes including Airbus 200/330, of which some would begin to operate in 2009.
Procedures were going on to appoint a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on the issue, he added. Some of these will be used for long haul flights to places in Europe, Far East, etc.
Future flights would be to London, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Stockholm, Milan, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. This is in addition to re-launching of flights to Zanzibar and Darussalam, he said.
Opening of new terminal pursuant to the company’s strategy would promote and develop tourism sector in the Sultanate, he said.
When asked about the challenges posed by low-cost airlines, Ziyad bin Karim Al Haremi said that it is not a challenge for us as such airlines are created for a new segment.
Oman Air, he said, would rebrand the image which will incorporate aspects keeping abreast of the latest developments in the aviation field.
A consultant from the United Kingdom has been asked to study and propose restructuring the brand of the airline.
Not wanting to deliberate on the price war, which is going on in the aviation front, he said that Oman Air has its own loyal clientele.
The CEO said that Oman government is doing its best to further improve tourism infrastructure and Oman Air will do what it can to augment tourism in Oman.