My country my airline. and we left behind by everyone, read this
Oman Air plans to add six more new destinations to its service
Sat, 20 March 2010
#attachments { display: none; }By Conrad Prabhu - MUSCAT — Direct flights between Muscat and Dar Es- Salaam, the administrative and business hub of Tanzania, will be launched on June 1 this year as national carrier Oman Air prepares to resume air links to East Africa after a break of several years. The move is expected to provide new impetus to tourism and commerce between Oman and Tanzania, given the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the two countries.
Direct air services will also come as a boon to the thousands of citizens and residents of the Sultanate with close family and business ties to the spice island of Zanzibar, for whom travel to and from Dar Es-Salaam these past few years has often meant inconvenient connections or lengthy transit halts. Starting June 1, 2010, four flights per week will be initially operated between Muscat and Dar Es-Salaam.
In fact, Dar Es-Salaam will pave the way for new African destinations to be added to Oman Air’s network in the future, according to a senior airline executive. “Dar Es-Salaam is our first East African destination and we plan to expand our network in Africa in future years,” said Philippe Georgiou, Chief Officer — Corporate Affairs, Oman Air. “As part of Oman Air’s expansion programme, a geographical diversification element is part of its strategy.
Additionally, with the historical links between the Sultanate and the Eastern African countries, it was only natural that Oman Air starts flying to those destinations,” he noted in remarks to the Observer. The direct flights, Georgiou said, will have beneficial implications for tourism and business travel between Oman and Tanzania. “As per the mission statement of Oman Air, we drive inbound discerning tourism into Oman.
We believe there are huge opportunities in Tanzania and East Africa to attract affluent travellers to come and visit Oman, whether for business or tourism purposes. We believe a direct flight between Muscat and Tanzania, at a starting frequency of four times a week, will certainly encourage and promote both destinations for commercial and tourism development.”
Oman Air has been rolling out new destinations at a fairly aggressive pace, having launched new direct routes between Muscat and Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, the Maldives and Sri Lanka in recent months. In addition to Dar Es-Salaam, the national carrier also plans to add Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Lahore and Islamabad to its network over the next few months. Services to Milan (Italy) are planned for the later part of the year.