MUSCAT- Oman Air (WY) has ceased operations with all Airbus A330 aircraft as of March 30, 2024. It seems that the airline’s final commercial A330 flight rotation was WY183, traveling from Muscat (MCT) to Moscow (SVO).
Oman Air temporarily leased some of its A330 aircraft to Qatar Airways (QR), which will continue to operate under Qatar-based airlines in the foreseeable future. Therefore, although you won’t find Oman Air A330s flying with Oman Air, you can still experience flights on them with Qatar Airways.
Oman Air Retires A330s
To provide context regarding Oman Air’s fleet, the Muscat-based airline previously operated a total of 44 passenger aircraft. It comprises nine Boeing 787s, 10 Airbus A330s, and 25 Boeing 737s.
With the decision to park all of its A330s, the airline is essentially reducing its wide-body fleet by approximately 50%.
From a passenger experience perspective, the retirement of the A330s brings unfavorable news. Several routes previously serviced by the A330 will now be managed by the 737, resulting in a significant change in passenger experience.
Unlike the A330’s flat beds in business class, the 737 offers seats that only recline slightly.
Narrow Losses and Increased Revenue
Engineer Said bin Hamoud al-Ma’awali, the Minister of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, as well as the Chairman of Oman Air, disclosed that the national airline’s net losses by the end of 2023 decreased by approximately 36 percent, while the company’s revenues surged by about 30 percent compared to 2022.
He announced that the economy class return ticket price for Omani citizens on the Muscat-Salalah route would be fixed at OMR64, with a one-way trip priced at OMR35 throughout the year, while during the fall season, the round trip would cost OMR54.
During the third media briefing to review the developments in Oman Air’s transformation plan, he elaborated that these achievements resulted from implementing the second phase of the transformation plan, initiated in March 2023. Notably, strategic alterations were made in flight destinations for the winter 2023 season, reducing the number of flights on certain routes.
He clarified that as part of the transformation plan, no routes were discontinued, and no aircraft were grounded or sold.
He stated: “All non-essential expenditures across departments have been halted, including sponsorships, and several unnecessary service contracts have been terminated or reduced.”
Improve in Load Factor
According to al-Ma’awali, Oman Air successfully concluded the fiscal year 2023 without acquiring additional bank loans or government guarantees.
He further stated, “The load factors of Oman Air’s fleet saw a notable improvement of 9 percent, with over 6 million passengers transported across various destinations and more than 45,000 scheduled flights operated.”
In 2024, Oman Air plans to enact significant changes to enhance its financial and operational performance. These changes will involve restructuring the route network and flight schedule from April 2024.
He elaborated,
“Oman Air will modernize its core commercial and revenue activities to enhance competitiveness and attract travelers by employing cutting-edge tools and renewing agreements with companies, incorporating price reviews and diligent follow-up.”
“Throughout the current year, the company aims to finalize new agreements with international airlines through quantitative analysis. It will also establish specific pricing mechanisms and controls to ensure fair benefits for the company while rationalizing expenses and costs across various departments and operations.”
Oman Air Shrinking Operations
As a result of this reduction in its fleet size, Oman Air will be reducing the frequency of flights in several markets. Additionally, the airline will completely suspend service to Chittagong, Colombo, Islamabad, and Lahore, while flights to Male, Trabzon, and Zurich will become seasonal.
Alex Macheras, the aviation analyst and broadcaster, and Oman Air and Chelsea FC terminated the deal in under a year.
Furthermore, the Gulf carrier is planning to fire some of its crew. Subsequently, the airline is in controversy over not hiring local Omani cadets.
However, as reported previously, Oman Air is increasing its capacity to two existing destinations, Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram, in India.
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