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{{Short description|Flag carrier of Oman}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

factoids

| IATA = WY| ICAO = OMA| callsign = OMAN AIR| parent = Oman Investment AuthorityMuscat International Airport, Muscat, Oman www.omanair.com}}| aoc = | focus_cities = | num_employees = | image = }}Oman Air () is the flag carrier of Oman.WEB,weblink Oman Air Profile, 8 October 2012,weblink 20 November 2012, dead, Based at Muscat International Airport in Muscat, it operates domestic and international passenger services, as well as regional air taxi and charter flights.Contact Us. Oman Air. Retrieved on 14 August 2017.

History

Beginnings

Oman was one of the four shareholders of Gulf Air, alongside the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Bahrain. It was also the last nation to exit from the carrier, leaving in 2007.{{cn|date=February 2024}}Oman Air traces its roots back to 1970 when Oman International Services (OIS) was established. The company became a civil aircraft ground handling provider at Beit Al Falaj Airport.WEB, History, Oman Air,weblink 10 December 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170817205057weblink">weblink 17 August 2017, dead, In 1973, OIS moved its operations to the new terminal at Seeb International Airport. The company took over Gulf Air's Light Aircraft Division in 1977, before establishing its Aircraft Engineering Division in the same year. Oman's rapidly expanding civil aviation industry led OIS to build several facilities – including hangars, workshops and in-flight catering – to cater for the increase in activity.In 1981, Oman Aviation Services became a joint-stock company. OAS also purchased 13 aircraft from Gulf Air, allowing the company to replace its turboprop Fokker 27-600 with the −500 series. The following year, Oman Aviation Services jointly commenced jet services, along with Gulf Air, to Salalah. From 1983 to 1993, the company purchased new equipment, including the Cessna Citation, and new facilities to help it improve its services.

Foundation

File:ATR_ATR-42-500,_Oman_Air_(Cimber_Air)_AN0724121.jpg|thumb|A former Oman Air ATR 42-500ATR 42-500In 1993, Oman Air was founded. The airline's inaugural flight took place in March 1993, when a leased Boeing 737-300 from Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services (AWAS) flew from Muscat to Salalah.MAGAZINE, Max, Kingsley-Jones, Emerging power, Flight Global,weblink 10 December 2010, dead,weblink 17 August 2017, In July of the same year, the airline's first international flight was operated to Dubai, also utilising a Boeing 737-300. Flights to other destinations quickly followed, with Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) services starting in November, Kuwait and Karachi in January 1994, and Colombo in October 1994. In 1995, two Airbus A320s were wet-leased from Region Air of Singapore to replace the 737s. From 1995 to 1997, new services were introduced to Mumbai, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Chennai. In October 1998, Oman Air became a member of the international aviation industry trade group International Air Transport Association (IATA). By the end of the following year, Gwadar, Peshawar, Jeddah and Al Ain were included in the airline's expanding route network, although the former two, along with a host of other destinations, were discontinued in 2000.

Recapitalization

In March 2007, the Omani government recapitalised the airline, which saw the government increasing its shareholding from approximately 33 to 80 percent.NEWS, Kaminski-Morrow, David, Oman Air goes long-haul., Airline Business, 19 March 2007,weblink 4 April 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090210165946weblink">weblink 10 February 2009, It was also announced that Oman Air would be re-evaluating its strategic plans, with a possibility of entering the long-haul market. This culminated in May 2007 when Oman withdrew from Gulf Air to focus on the development of its national flag carrier, leaving Bahrain as the sole owner of the airline.NEWS, Oman looks to its local carrier after Gulf Air move., Flight International, 15 May 2007,weblink 4 December 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090210165951weblink">weblink 10 February 2009, Oman Air commenced long-haul services on 26 November 2007 by launching flights to Bangkok and London.WEB, Expansion 2007, Oman Air, 11 January 2008,weblink 21 May 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100125071449weblink">weblink 25 January 2010, On 2 April 2007, Oman Air announced it had placed a firm order with Airbus for 5 Airbus A330 aircraft, with delivery scheduled for 2009. At the 2009 Dubai Air Show, Oman Air finalized the order, which involved 3 A330-300s and 2 A330-200s. Deliveries started during the third quarter of 2009. In February 2009, Oman Air announced intentions to lease another 2 A330-200s from Jet Airways.Times of Oman. Times of Oman (22 June 2009). Retrieved on 10 December 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510170312weblink |date=10 May 2015 }} During the 2009 Dubai Air Show, Oman Air also finalised an order for five Embraer 175 aircraft with another 5 options, which the airline received from 2011.Oman Air buys 5 Embraer 175 E – Jets. Zawya.com (17 November 2009). Retrieved on 10 December 2010. In March 2010, Oman Air became the first airline in the world to offer both mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity on selected routes.WEB,weblink Oman Air launches full mobile phone and WiFi connectivity on new A330s, 29 September 2014, WEB,weblink Combined Services Oman Air adds first combined in-flight WiFi and mobile phone services – ..., February 2010, 29 September 2014, WEB,weblink WiFi inflight airplane mobile telephony onboard OnAir, 29 September 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141011162720weblink">weblink 11 October 2014, dead,

Development since 2010

File:Oman Air A333 A4O-DD.JPG|thumb|A former Oman Air Airbus A330-300Airbus A330-300By November 2010, the Omani government held a 99.8 percent stake in the airline.WEB,weblink Fact Sheet, Omanair.com, 25 May 2011, In 2010 Maitha Al Mahrouqi was appointed Country Manager.WEB, Come On Over,weblink 2021-09-10, The Business Year, WEB, 2020-08-19, السيرة الذاتية لسعادة ميثاء بنت سيف المحروقية وكيلة وزارة التراث والس,weblink 2021-09-10, بوابة دوت كوم, ar, In 2011, Oman Air won the Gold award for the "Airline of the Year" at France's Laurier d'Or du Voyage d'Affaires.WEB,weblink Oman Air wins 'Airline of the Year', 2 June 2017, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111001214859weblink">weblink 1 October 2011, dmy-all, During September 2013 the CEO stated that Oman Air was planning to have a 50 aircraft strong fleet by 2017.WEB,weblink Oman Air studies move to 50-strong fleet by 2017, Flightglobal.com, 21 October 2013, 28 October 2013, In April 2015, Oman Air announced it would phase out its smaller aircraft to focus on an all Airbus and Boeing fleet.WEB,weblink Oman Air to phase out ATR, Embraer fleets, 2 June 2017, Two ATR 42-500 aircraft were withdrawn by the end of 2015 while the four Embraer 175 and the Boeing 737-700 aircraft were both retired by the end of 2016.JOURNAL, Oman Air, Airliner World, July 2015, 11, In April 2017 Oman Air announced plans to replace its A330s with Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s. In July 2017, Oman Air received the award for "Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East" at the Skytrax World Airline Awards.NEWS,weblink Oman Air wins 'Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East' award, 10 July 2017, Muscat Daily, In addition, the Seven Stars Luxury Lifestyle and Hospitality Awards named Oman Air the "Best Airline in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa" for the second year in a row.WEB,weblink Oman Air again named 'Best Airline in Europe, Middle East and Africa', 29 September 2017, Travel Trade Gazette MENA, In October 2018, the CEO of Oman Air, Abdulaziz bin Saud al Raisi, announced that the airline was aiming to add over 60 new destinations and 70 new aircraft by 2022.WEB,weblink Oman Air to add 60 destinations by 2022, says CEO Raisi, 31 October 2018, 31 October 2018, Oman Observer, In June 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) granted the level 4 New Distribution Capability (NDC) certification to the airline. The carrier became one of the first airlines to function on the latest standards, adding the title to its existing level 3 NDC certification.WEB,weblink traveldailynews.com, Oman Air achieves IATA NDC Level 4 Certification and expands NDC based distribution globally, 25 June 2019, 25 June 2019, Travel Daily News, Oman Air and Kenya Airways announced the expansion of their codeshare cooperation, which was first signed in August 2017. The expansion, effective since 1 October 2019, increased destinations for their flyers, where they were allowed to seamlessly travel beyond Nairobi to Entebbe in Uganda and Johannesburg in South Africa.WEB,weblink Oman Air and Kenya Airways Announce Codeshare Agreement Expansion, 2 October 2019, Aviation Tribune, 2 October 2019, In February 2021, Oman Air announced it would abandon fleet expansion plans due to lower demand as COVID-19 emerged. Chairman Mohammed Al-Barwani announced a reduction of aircraft from 50 to 36 aircraft.NEWS, 12 February 2021, Oman Air abandons fleet expansion plan as virus hits flights demand, Arabian Business,weblink Additionally, a few non-profitable routes, including Athens and Casablanca, were terminated.aerotelegraph.com - "Oman Air is going to shrink" (German) 16 February 2021 In September 2021, Oman Air announced its intentions to join the Oneworld alliance by the end of 2022.WEB,weblink Oman Air to join Oneworld, Travel Daily Media, 30 September 2021, This was followed by an announcement in June 2022 that Oman Air would join the alliance in 2024.{{cn|date=May 2024}}In August 2023, Oman Air announced a new program to restructure the airline after an assessment was conducted of the airline's commercial and financial performance. Saeed Al Mawali, chairman of the airline, stated that the program would focus on four areas; financial sustainability, corporate governance, commercial aspects, and human capital. He added that a qualified team would be required to implement the program over 2-3 years.WEB, Oman Air chairman announces major transformation plan {{!, Times Aerospace |url=https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/air-transport/oman-air-chairman-announces-major-transformation-plan |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=www.timesaerospace.aero}} In February 2024, Oman Air announced it would retire its fleet of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft by March 2024 as well as to cease operations on four routes and downsize operations on several others as part of ongoing restructuring efforts.eturbonews.com - OIS to Oman Air: A National Carrier’s Bold Rise and Potential Fall 25 February 2024

Corporate affairs

File:Business class cabin on Oman Air Airbus A330-300.jpg|thumb|The business class cabin aboard a former Oman Air Airbus A330-300Airbus A330-300

Frequent flyer program

Sindbad is Oman Air's frequent flyer program, launched in 2006. It is a three-tier frequent flyer program; the three tiers are Sindbad Blue, Sindbad Silver and Sindbad Gold. Sindbad also has a partnership agreement with the respective program of Etihad Airways and miles can be earned through several Sindbad partners.WEB,weblink Frequent Flyers | Oman Air Sindbad, Sindbad.omanair.com, 3 February 2014,

Sponsorships

• Oman Air became the Presenting Sponsor for the 2015 NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.WEB,weblink Oman Air become Presenting Sponsor for the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, 6 September 2015, ZAWYA, 30 June 2017,
• In July 2023, Oman Air became the global airline partner for Chelsea FC. The partnership will run until 2026.WEB, Oman Air, July 6, 2023, Oman Air Signs Monumental Deal with English Premier League Club,weblink September 1, 2023, Oman Air,

Livery

The original livery features a white fuselage with red and green cheatlines, with the airline's English and Arabic names written in red and green, respectively. Oman's national symbol, the Khanjar, is painted in red on the vertical stabilizer.{{cn|date=February 2024}} In the late 1990s, the livery was revised, with the cheatlines removed but the corporate red-green palette kept. A new red vertical stabilizer was introduced, with the khanjar repainted in white and a green stripe painted on the rear fuselage. For aircraft with wingtips, the logo was added on them with a solid red background.{{cn|date=February 2024}} The current livery also features a white fuselage, but the vertical stabilizer changed to blue, and an incense smoke replacing the khanjar as the official logo. Oman Air's names in Arabic and English are now painted in gold and silver, respectively.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

Destinations

As of April 2024, Oman Air operates a network of 44 destinations in 24 countries out of its hub at Muscat. The country that sees the most services is India with 10 destinations.WEB, Expanding Our Network : Oman Air,weblink 2024-04-02, www.omanair.com,

Codeshare agreements

Oman Air has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:WEB,weblink Profile on Oman Air, CAPA, Centre for Aviation, 31 October 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161031215151weblink">weblink 31 October 2016, live, {{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• Egyptair
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Garuda Indonesia
• Gulf Air
• Kenya AirwaysWEB,weblink Oman Air signs code share agreement with Kenya Airways, 5 September 2017, Oman Air, 19 September 2017,
• KLM
• Kuwait Airways
• LufthansaWEB,weblink Oman Air expands Lufthansa codeshare partnership from mid-July 2018, Routesonline, 9 August 2018,
• Malaysia AirlinesWEB,weblink Oman Air and Malaysia Airlines Codeshare Partnership, 29 June 2010, Oman Air, 15 July 2017,
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Jordanian
• Saudia
• Singapore Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines
• Thai Airways International
• Turkish Airlines

{{Div col end}}

Fleet

File:Oman Air A4O-BP at Bengaluru, Dec 2015-1.jpg|thumb|Oman Air Boeing 737-800Boeing 737-800File:Oman Air Boeing 787-8 (A4O-SB) at Frankfurt Airport.jpg|thumb|Oman Air Boeing 787-8Boeing 787-8

Current fleet

{{As of|2024|4}}, Oman Air operates an all-Boeing fleet composed of the following aircraft:WEB, Our Fleet : Oman Air,weblink 2024-04-02, www.omanair.com, WEB,weblink Oman Air Fleet Details and History, www.planespotters.net, en, 13 November 2022, {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto;"|+ Oman Air fleet ! rowspan="2" | Aircraft! rowspan="2" | In service! rowspan="2" | Orders! colspan="4" | PassengersWEB, Air, Oman, Fleet Information – Oman Air,weblink 13 November 2022, www.omanair.com, ! rowspan="2" | Notes !F!C!Y!Total|Boeing 737-800|6|—|—|12|150|162||Boeing 737-900ER|5|—|—|12|171|183Sun Country Airlines by late 2025.HTTPS://WWW.CH-AVIATION.COM/PORTAL/NEWS/126367-OMAN-AIR-TO-RETIRE-B737-900ERS-BY-4Q25WEBSITE=CH-AVIATION.COM, 7 April 2023, |Boeing 737 MAX 8|13WEBSITE=REUTERS, 23 October 2015, |—|12|150LAST=BOEINGACCESS-DATE=11 APRIL 2018, ||Boeing 787-8|2|—|—|18|249|267|Boeing 787-973|8|24|232|264|—|30|258|288 style="background:#1a648c;"!colspan="8"|Oman Air Cargo fleetBoeing 737-800BCF}}|1|—Cargo|!Total!34!10!colspan="5"|

Historic fleet

Oman Air had additionally previously operated the following aircraft:WEB,weblink Oman Air Fleet Details and History, 24 April 2015, {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto;"|+ Oman Air historic fleet !Aircraft!Introduced!Retired!class="unsortable"|NotesAirbus A300>Airbus A300B4-2031999}}1999}}|Leased from Pegasus AirlinesAirbus A310>Airbus A310-3001999}}2009}}Hi Fly (airline)>Hi FlyAirbus A320>Airbus A320-2001995}}2002}}|Leased from Lotus Air and Pegasus Airlines|Airbus A330-200|2009|2024||Airbus A330-300|2009|2024|ATR 42>ATR 42-5001998}}2015}}|Boeing 737 Original>Boeing 737-3001993}}1995}}|Boeing 737 Original>Boeing 737-4001999}}2002}}|Leased from Pegasus AirlinesBoeing 737 Next Generation>Boeing 737-7001999}}2015}}|Boeing 757>Boeing 757-2001996}}1996}}|Leased from Royal Brunei Airlines|Boeing 767-200ER2007}}2008}}|Leased from Malév Hungarian Airlines|Embraer 1752011}}2020}}|Fokker F27 Friendship>Fokker F27-500|1995|2009|

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• {{Commons category-inline|Oman Air}}
• {{owebweblink}}

{{Oneworld}}{{IATA members|mideast}}{{Arab Air Carriers Organization}}{{Airlines of Oman}}{{Authority control}}