Oman Air, the award winning national carrier for the Sultanate of Oman, today celebrates the significant milestone of 25 magnificent years of service to India. On the occasion of 25th anniversary, Oman Air remains robust and buoyant about bilateral trade and investment between India and Oman as the bilateral trade rose approx. 67 per cent this year as compared to last year.
With Oman Air’s seat factor touching the 80 per cent mark in 2018, and the passenger in premium cabin growing 25 per cent in an overall double digit growth vis-à-vis last year the 25th Anniversary year has been a highlight of the airline’s India operations. Oman received 3.21 lakh Indian visitors in 2017, showcasing growth of over 7 per cent compared to 2016 and the estimated growth for 2018 is at 18 per cent owing to the growing demand from leisure, wedding, adventure and MICE travellers. This will further strengthen the airline’s growing international network and significantly enhance connectivity for passengers.
Oman Air’s first flight (WY 1412) took off in the year 1993 from Muscat to Trivandrum, marking its journey of being the largest airline between the two countries. Oman Air currently operates 161 weekly flights to India. There has been significant growth in the past 25 years, with a fleet of 2 aircraft serving 3 destinations – to its present day fleet of a 54 aircraft, serving 51 destinations.
On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary, Eng Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air said: “We are bullish on India, as it is a significant destination for Oman Air both in terms of increasing tourism traffic and in promoting vital trade agreements between the two countries. Since the commencement of operations to India first, the network has grown from strength to strength and I am delighted to have the opportunity to thank all of those who have made our expansion possible. I am also very grateful to the cooperation between the governments of Oman and India whose agreement has allowed us to increase the number of frequencies and available seats.”
Sunil V A, Regional Vice President-ISC said: “We have seen a huge increase in passengers travelling between Muscat and India, but we strongly believe that the Indian market still has huge potential, not just between Oman and India, but also beyond to connecting destinations. Seat occupancy remains high on our India flights and I look forward to seeing this grow even further in the future. The dynamic travel industry and forward-thinking aviation sector in India, (which is currently the third largest in the world), has helped make India a very important market for us.”
Paul Starrs, Chief Commercial Officer, Oman Air, said: “These routes have proven increasingly popular and it has been fantastic to see the service grow both in terms of destinations and frequency. We are very proud that we can offer our guests the choice and convenience that comes with such frequent flights. Our passengers continue to commend the excellent service that they receive onboard with Oman Air and the 25 year milestone is a testament to this success.”
