DRMumbai: With the new Muscat International Airport opening its doors to the world, Oman is eyeing a quantum leap in the air transport industry. The national carrier Oman Air too is ratcheting up investment with a new fleet of aircraft and new routes. Here Sunil V A, Regional Vice President, Indian Subcontinent, Oman Air, speaks about their plans for India.
“Except for Gulf region, where we have more daily frequencies, India is the only country to have such a good frequency” – Sunil V A, Regional Vice President, Indian Subcontinent, Oman Air
While most countries have been successful in promoting onward connections for Indian travellers, what is the scene at Oman Air?
Muscat is fast becoming a hub for onward connections as we are able to provide excellent onward connections to Gulf and Europe. On March 22, the $1.8-billion new Muscat International Airport opened its doors. It’s a state-of-the art complex with aerobridges located along side the existing airfield. This new 5,80,000 sq. m. terminal has raised the capacity up to 20 million passengers per annum. Oman has announced a visa-on-arrival scheme for Indians holding valid US, UK, Schengen or Canada visa. The visa on arrival will be granted for a period of one month for a fee of 20 Omani Rial (Rs. 3400). New routes in the pipeline for 2018 are Istanbul (Turkey) from June 1, Casablanca (Morocco) from July 1 and Moscow (Russia) from October 28.
We also provide ample opportunities for Indians travelling from 11 destinations in India like Goa, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Jaipur, with multiple flight connections to select onward cites.
Did you launch a third daily flight on the Mumbai – Muscat route?
Well, it’s not just Mumbai, we fly three times daily to Muscat from Delhi, Hyderabad and Kozhikode. So, it is four cities now. Lucknow frequency also has increased from one flight daily to two. Currently, our overall weekly frequency to India is 161.
Does your airline fly three times a day to any other destinations apart from India?
Except for Gulf region, where we have more daily frequencies, India is the only country to have such a good frequency. Consistency factor on Indian routes is amazing, making us look at increasing our daily flights as well as new routes. This growth in capacity was possible due to the revised Air Services agreement between the Government of Oman and the Government of India. The number of weekly seats was increased to 27,405 for both countries, compared to 21,145 seats as per the previous agreement. We recently obtained our first state-of-the-art new Boeing 737 MAX, which began operations from New Delhi. We are now planning to expand to other cities. This clearly shows the importance that Oman Air has for India. The airline has ordered 30 Boeing MAX aircraft and by the end of this year we expect to receive a total of five aircraft.
How do you plan to attract MICE and Bollywood?
Our new international convention center – Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) – is already an iconic landmark for the city of Muscat. It is expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2018. OCEC will have the latest technologies in place and has been designed to cater for global expos and conferences. Apart from this, two hotels – Marriott and Novotel – which are under construction will be just adjacent to the OCEC, making it ideal for delegates. We also have many global brands like Shangri-La, Ritz Carlton, Al Nahda Resort & Spa, Sheraton and Alila. All these hotels have their own MICE venues and are ideal as wedding destinations too.
Coming to Bollywood, we already have a few films shot in Oman. The country also has a comparative cost advantage in contrast to many other global destinations.
How can Indians benefit from the new Oman Air Pass?
Our Oman Air Pass, delivered by Optiontown, is a simple, convenient and cost-effective way to pre-purchase a number of tickets at highly discounted fares (up to 50 per cent) and redeem them for ticketed flights when you want to travel. Passes can be customised for individuals, families, groups or business travel. It’s valid for both Economy and Business class.
