Oman Air increases flights to Dhofar

Dhofar is considered as one of the most interesting areas for tourists particularly in autumn, where the temperature ranges between 15 to 22 degrees Celsius. "To make available all conveniences for tourists in Dhofar, the official carrier of the Festival linked the land of frankincense with various destinations, making available more flight from Muscat, Dubai and Salalah, in addition to Kuwait," said Hassan Bin Talib Al Lawatia, Country Manager, Sultanate of Oman.

He added, being the national carrier, Oman Air has always extended added facilities and privileges en routing to attract more tourist groups to Oman. It continues to play an important role in boosting domestic tourism through its continued efforts promoting and sponsoring various forums and events held throughout the Sultanate.

"We sought to increase the operational capacity on Salalah sector during Khareef, when the monsoon rains lash the region, turning it into a tropical paradise. Dhofar is one of the best and most beautiful tourist areas in region, characterized by its scenic attractions and virgin beaches, in addition to its times past, ancient civilization, outstanding mountains, springs also customs and traditions of inhabitants, along with the many other endowed blessings. Salalah Tourism Festival was able to find a niche as a prominent status among major Arab festivals. Enormous numbers of visitors from different countries attends the annual festival that contains a variety of exiting events, also prides itself on offering a wide range of events to suit all tastes and interests."

Al Lawatia added that beginning July 2008, 6 weekly flights have been added on the Muscat / Salalah sector uplifting the number of weekly flights to 31. The increase will not only accrue on domestic air operations, but also the international, as two more flights a week will be added on the Dubai / Salalah sector, in addition to 2 flights weekly from Kuwait with effect from July 15, 2008.

Accordingly, the number of scheduled flights during Khareef to Salalah will reach at 325, hence providing more than 50,700 seats. He informed that the company is prepared also to operate more flights whenever necessary.

Corporate Communications & Media of Oman Air commented by saying that Oman Air's marketing strategy along with all the concerned government bodies constantly focus on stimulating demand from target markets and segments to promote tourism, urging visitors to explore some of the treasures Oman has to offer. They noted that Salalah Tourism Festival, which has become an awaited and renowned annual event, reflects the efforts of various sectors and in the heart the aviation sector. However, the general trend is to make Oman an attractive hub of tourism and business all year round.

The increase in the number of flights between Muscat and Salalah they added, would contribute in linking Salalah with Oman air's other destinations, giving the opportunity for our valued passengers to have wider options with the carrier's over 200 flights weekly from Muscat. The first flight they informed departs from Muscat to Salalah at 1015, whilst the very last flight departs at 2030 (Friday at 2120); also, the first flight departs from Salalah at 1255 and the last at 2255 (Friday at 2355).

They further added, that parallel to the promotional campaign initiated by the company in its endeavor to promote Dhofar and Salalah Khareef festival, promotional films are put on show aboard Oman Air flights, which draw attention to Dhofar's pristine beaches, historical sites and natural scenery, also showcasing the main activities of the festival, while our valued passengers enjoy our high quality services and the authentic Omani hospitality on board of the new wings of Oman.

It is worth mentioning that Oman Air operates Boeing 737 - 700 / 800 with a capacity ranging between 114 to 162 passengers on its sectors to Salalah. The carrier's operations take-off from its hub Muscat to 27 destinations, including 12 destinations in the Indian subcontinent; New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kozhikode and Bangalore. Also Karachi in Pakistan, and Chittagong in Bangladesh, 10 international destinations in the Middle East: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Beirut, Cairo, and Amman, in addition to London in Europe and Bangkok in the Far East, in addition to domestic flights to Salalah and Khasab.