Transport

Oman Air cancels flights to South Asian cities

By Pramod Kumar

January 29, 2024, 4:09 AM

Oman Air has revised flight timings for several destinations, to maximise connection windows — The airline has revised flight timings for several routes, to maximise connection windows

Oman Air is cancelling flights to some South Asian cities as part of its transformation programme.

The state-owned airline said the move is part of efforts to improve its financial performance and strengthen its position in a competitive market.

Flights to Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Chittagong in Bangladesh will be cancelled.

However, the airline will add a route to Sialkot in Pakistan and increase capacity to two of its destinations in India – Lucknow, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

In addition, three destinations will be added on a seasonal basis. Flights will be operated to Trabzon in Turkey during the summer. In winter, Oman Air will fly to Zurich in Switzerland and Malé, the capital of the Maldives.

The airline has also revised flight times for several of its destinations, seeking more favourable slots to maximise connection windows.

In August 2023, Oman Air announced a restructuring to reduce losses and debt accumulation.

The airline’s board has approved the restructuring programme, according to the state-run Oman News Agency. It cited Said Hamoud Al Ma’awali, who serves as minister of transport, communications and information technology, as well as chairman of Oman Air.

Last September local media reported that SalamAir, a low-cost carrier based in Oman, had cancelled all services to India from October 1.