Oman Air to launch five routes in two weeks

Oman Air is set to launch five new routes in two weeks.

The Muscat-based carrier will enter new markets Europe and the Indian Ocean between September 30 and October 10.

It will launch a four times weekly service to Frankfurt on September 30; a three times weekly service to Munich on October 1; a four times weekly service to Paris on October 9; and two new destinations on October 10 – it will fly four times weekly to the Maldives and daily to Colombo in Sri Lanka (two will fly Muscat-Colombo-Male-Muscat, two will fly Muscat-Male-Colombo-Muscat and the remaining services fly direct).

Oman Air senior manager marketing Mohammed Mubarak Al-Shikely told ATN the airline had a big marketing campaign in place to mark the launch of the routes, with TVCs booked for prestigious global TV channels.

“We have chosen a bundle of networks including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, France 24, etc,” he said.

“It’s a package that will give us coverage in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.”

Oman Air has already launched its new business- and first-class products that it claims are superior to those in its competitive set – a strategy that adheres to the Oman Ministry of Tourism’s objective to attract the high-end leisure market.

Oman Air’s new business class cabin features four seats abreast – two in the middle and one either side of the aircraft - so that each person has aisle access, said Al-Shikely.

Not only that but each seat is so large that basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal – who is 7ft 1” tall – could easily stretch out without being cramped, the company has claimed.

“Our new products are unique,” said Al-Shikely. “And that’s the direction in which Oman Air is heading, providing tangible quality.”

So far some of the airline’s wet-leased aircraft have fitted with the new product, but the airline is due to take delivery of a brand new fully kitted out A330 next week (September 16).

Al-Shikely said the new services – plus those scheduled to come online next year, details of which he remained tight-lipped about – would help boost occupancies at Muscat’s properties, which this summer felt the impact of the recession and Swine Flu.

“Our non-stop links from Europe will definitely make a difference to occupancies all year round,” he said.

“We will have some high-level marketing activities to push our home base as a destination and as the airline carrier the name of our country, by default, we will push traffic into Oman during the summer.”

Al-Shikely said Oman Air would work closely with the Ministry of Tourism and hotels in Muscat to put together special packages and marketing campaigns to boost traffic during off-peak times – weekends and the summer months – as well as targeting niche groups such as honeymooners, sports enthusiasts and adventure tourists.

Hotels in Muscat are waiting with baited breath for the new flights and these promotions with The Chedi Muscat director of sales and marketing Lore Koenig hoping Muscat would become an alternative stopover point to Dubai for honeymooners traveling from Europe via the Middle East to the Maldives.

“We are really hoping to see a lot more stopover traffic that we wouldn’t usually get,” she said.