Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at Air Canada’s plans to launch a route to Qatar; Qantas adding Tasmania capacity; and Jazeera Airways returning to Muscat after more than a decade.
Senior network planners will discuss new route opportunities at the longest-standing and most established route development forum dedicated to the African region.
Oman Air has put expansion plans on hold, preferring instead to consolidate its business. Senior vice-president network and alliances Manuel Esu explains why.
The UK has always been one of the key markets for Oman Air and is one of just five country markets it serves in Europe. The airline currently offers flights to Frankfurt and Munich in Germany; Milan in Italy; Paris in France, Zurich in Switzerland and London, with the airline describing the UK capital as a flagship route.
Heathrow’s unique capacity constraints – it is operating at 98 percent capacity – coupled with the high demand from airlines due to strong passenger yields at the airport, mean slots are hard to obtain. The airport currently claims it has a queue of thirty airlines waiting for slots.
The brand will pay homage to Oman’s deeply-rooted culture and long-standing history as an ambassador of peace was among eight names that were initially shortlisted from the poll following internal discussions by ASAAS Board Members and key government entities. A subsequent poll of around 3,000 then voted on the final selection.
This new slot pair has been reportedly purchased from Air France-KLM and will provide an early morning scheduling option for the Middle East carrier and allow it to introduce a second daily rotation on the Muscat – London city pair.
Muscat International Airport broke the one million passenger per month milestone in August 2015 in a strong year of growth for the largest two airports in the Sultanate of Oman.
Under its revised schedule, Oman Air will introduce second daily rotations between Muscat and Bangalore and Kochi; will boost weekly frequencies between Muscat and Lucknow from seven to eleven; will increase flights between Muscat and Jaipur to ten weekly from the current daily offering; and will add one additional weekly flight on the Muscat – Goa route to offer a daily schedule.
The Gulf carrier received its first aircraft from the US manufacturer on October 7, 2015 and the aircraft entered service in the early hours of October 11, 2015 on the WY901 rotation between Muscat and Salalah. It operated three return flights on the route that day and is scheduled to repeat that schedule today (October 12, 2015) and through to the end of the month.
The new airport, which cost over 300 million Omani riyals, aims to enhance tourism given Salalah’s moderate weather during the summer attracts thousands of tourists from Oman and abroad. The project includes a passenger terminal, which will accommodate two million passengers per annum at the first stage and a 4km long main runway; which can accommodate even the largest airliners in the world.
This year’s inaugural Routes Middle East & Africa brought together two regions of the world that are at very different stages of their evolution and the event’s
Graham Newton talks to Oman Air’s CEO, Paul Gregorowitsch, about the airline’s strategy and its role in the wider economy for our siter magazine, Routes News.
The Sultanate of Oman Public Authority for Civil Aviation has launched an initial ‘Request for Information’ (RFI) process inviting any parties interested in setting up a low-cost commercial air transport services operator based in the country.
