A330 Success Continues As The Solution For Long-Haul Growth
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has placed an order for three A330-300s, growing its A330 Family fleet to a total of ten Airbus aircraft. The aircraft will be operated on long haul routes and can comfortably seat close to 300 passengers.
"The efficiency, reliability and passenger appeal of our in-service A330's already make The Pillar of Oman Air's long haul operations," said Wayne Pearce, CEO of Oman Air. "This additional order will allow us to continue our strategy of growth with an aircraft we know to be both reliable and profitable, and in addition offering the highest levels of passenger comfort."
"We are proud to continuously grow and develop our partnership with Oman Air through our popular A330-300 aircraft," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers "The winning combination of efficiency, reliability and comfort provided by the A330 continues to delight customers and passengers worldwide and will do so for many years to come, with our consistent investment in the aircraft family."
Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings. Airbus is the leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats.
The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, and includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted more than 1,200 orders, with around 900 aircraft flying with more than 100 operators worldwide. Ever since the original version of the A330-300 entered service, the hallmark has been its very efficient operating economics. Thanks to the introduction of numerous product improvements, it still remains the most cost-efficient and capable aircraft in its class, and the family is achieving average dispatch reliability above 99 percent.
About Oman Air
Oman Air is the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman and an Official 4 Star Airline (Skytrax 2011). Founded in 1993, the airline has since witnessed massive growth and has played a major role in making Muscat an important traffic hub in the Middle East, supporting the commercial, industrial and tourism sectors.
The airline currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to Gulf destinations, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Tehran and Kuwait, as well as Cairo, Beirut and Amman within the wider Middle East region.
In addition, Oman Air flies to ten destinations in India (Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Jaipur), Chittagong in Bangladesh, Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, Kathmandu in Nepal and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, Oman Air flies to the Maldives, Bangkok in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and operates services to Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania.
Its European destinations are London, Milan, Munich, Frankfurt, Paris and Zurich.
Oman Air has also codeshare partnerships with Emirates Airlines giving travellers better connectivity and an extended range of services between Dubai and Muscat as well as with Qatar Airways allowing Oman Air's customers to book flights from any of the 42 departure points within its network to Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Oman Air's fleet currently consists of four Airbus A330-200s, three Airbus A330-300s, 17 Boeing 737-700s/800s, four Embraer E175s and two ATR 42s.
Oman Air will be taking delivery of 6 new Boeing 737s as of 2014, as well as 6 Boeing 787s Dreamliners, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2015.
Oman Air's outstanding aircraft interiors include its First Class Mini Suite, which provides each of the six First Class passengers with direct aisle access and converts to the longest lie-flat seat in the skies. The A330's 20 award-winning Business Class seats each provide direct aisle access, ample storage space and the latest technological amenities. Economy Class seats offer adjustable head and leg rests, together with surprising amounts of leg and elbow room.
A state of the art in-flight entertainment system features individual seatback screens, audio and video on demand and live satellite TV. In addition, Oman Air has pioneered both mobile telephony and Internet connectivity on board its flights and this is available in all three classes.
Superb new First and Business Class lounges have been opened at Muscat International Airport, featuring elegant and tranquil relaxation areas, complimentary spa treatments and à la carte dining. A lounge-to-aircraft limousine service has also been launched for First Class passengers at Muscat.
Oman Air's commitment to quality, comfort and a seamless passenger experience has resulted in international acclaim, including: Best Business Class Seat in the World (World Airline Awards 2012); Best Business Class Seat in the World and Service Excellence, Middle East (World Airline Awards 2011); Best Luxury Airline, Middle East (Business Destinations Awards 2011); Technological Innovation of the Year (Aviation Business Awards 2010); as well recognition in the TravelPlus Amenity Bag Awards 2010 (three Gold, one Silver), the Cellars in the Sky Awards 2010 (Silver), the KLIA Awards 2011, the 2009 Vision Awards (one Silver, one Bronze) and the Travel Industry Club Awards 2010 (Silver), TTG Travel Award 2011 as Commended Airline of the Year, Best In-flight Connectivity & Communications award in The 2011 Passenger Choice Awards in Seattle USA, The Airline of the Year Award at France's Lauriers d'Or du Voyage d'Affaires, Top Resa 2011 in addition to the Best First Class Female Amenity Bag and the Best Business Class Unisex Amenity Bag at the TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards 2011. Oman Air was awarded The Best Business Class Airline, Middle East at the Business Destinations Travel Awards 2012.
© Press Release 2013
