Oman Air's flight to Lanka in turbulence

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MUSCAT -- The delay in the much-awaited launch of Oman AirOman Air's flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka has left many passengers as well as the Sultanate's national carrier disappointed.

The postponement has come about despite Oman AirOman Air and the Directorate General of Oman Civil Aviation filing all the required documents to commence daily services to Colombo.

Oman AirOman Air's inaugural services to Sri Lanka were to start on October 10 as part of the airline's international expansion programme utilising the brand new fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft.

The airline next posted October 17 as the new date to resume Colombo flights, however, could not keep that date too.

In an interview to Times of Oman, Barry Brown, Chief Commercial Officer, Oman AirOman Air, said, "Oman AirOman Air is not certain of the reasons why our daily operations have not been sanctioned by the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation Authorities.

"Oman AirOman Air and the Directorate General of Oman Civil Aviation filed all the correct documents that were required to commence daily services to Colombo," Brown clarified.

Oman AirOman Air, being the designated carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is entitled to operate seven services per week as per an agreement signed between both governments in 2003.

Unanswered queries
"There is a lack of information being supplied by their authorities and our correspondence remains unanswered. We do not have a clear picture as to why the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation has not granted the rights as agreed in the 2003 Air Services agreement," Brown said.

On when the issue is likely to be resolved, Brown said, "Oman AirOman Air had hoped to commence daily services on October 10 as previously published and clearly identified with the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation. We are unsure why our traffic rights have not been approved, so it is impossible to answer when it will be resolved."

The issue is also turning out to be a state issue. "Air services agreements are sovereign agreements between countries. Oman AirOman Air is simply the nominated airline for the Sultanate of Oman. Therefore it has always been and will always remain a state issue," Brown said.

Barry Brown added: "Oman AirOman Air is deeply embarrassed for the inconvenience caused to its loyal customers and the many thousands of Sri Lankan citizens who planned to take advantage of our daily services. Hundreds of passengers had booked our first few flights and now we have had to transfer hundreds to other airlines."

Airspace rights
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan newspaper, Sunday Times, in an article quoted airline sources as saying that Sri Lankan Airlines might lose airspace rights over Oman if Oman AirOman Air doesn't get permission for Colombo operations.

"It would have to take a detour to Europe, including across war-torn countries like Afghanistan," the paper quoted an official as saying.

The paper also confirmed a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official of Sri Lanka as saying that the issue had reached the diplomatic level.

By Mrudu Naik

© Times of Oman 2009