Oman Air celebrates 6 years of successful operations in Sri Lanka

Oman Air Chief Officer Sales Mahfood Ali Saleem Al Harthy (second from left) at the media briefing. Oman Air Country Manager – Sri Lanka and Maldives Gihan Karunaratne, Senior Manager, Sales, Indian Sub-Continent V.A. Sunil and Hayleys Group Head of Leisure & Aviation Johann Wijesinghe

The national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Air recently celebrated six years of successful operations in Sri Lanka. Over the years, Oman Air has experienced momentous growth in Sri Lanka and has gained a reputation for offering affordable flights, a luxurious travel experience and world-class standards of service.  

Commenting on the occasion, Gihan Karunaratne – Country Manager, Sri Lanka & Maldives, Oman Air said, “We are extremely proud to celebrate this special occasion with our valued customers and guests.  Sri Lanka was the 32nd destination that Oman Air introduced to its network which now comprises 50. The airline has continued to achieve significant growth each year, this year we celebrated many important milestones such as the introduction of double daily flights from Colombo to Muscat. We now operate 14 flights per week and two flights per day between both destinations. We also recently introduced a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to our fleet. The all-new commercial aircraft offers passengers the ultimate big-jet experience and increased speeds of travel and is currently operational between Muscat, Frankfurt and Milan. As we look ahead to the future, I would like to thank our valued customers and the travel trade for their ongoing support and patronage.” 

Also commenting on Oman Air’s success in Sri Lanka, Mahfood Ali Saleem Al Harthy – Chief Officer Sales, Oman Air stated, “We have worked closely with our General Sales Agent in Sri Lanka, North South Lines, which is a member of the Hayleys Group to gradually build a strong customer base and brand presence in Sri Lanka.  Our flights from Colombo to Muscat have shown an excellent load factor and we have been able to meet the travel needs of business and leisure travellers as well as Sri Lankan expatriate workers based in Oman.  Globally, Oman Air is focusing on continuing its strategic expansion and recently launched three new routes in the Asian region and offers direct flights from Muscat to Singapore, Goa and Dhaka. The Oman Air operation in Sri Lanka is well poised to experience continued growth and will also continue to play an integral role in the airline’s regional success.”

In Sri Lanka, Oman Air constantly engages with customers through promotions and events such as the Oman Air Golf Classic, which brings 100 golfers together from across Sri Lanka, Australia and the Middle East to compete for a grand prize. The airline has also continuously received high international acclaim by winning a string of accolades including the ‘Best Business Class Airline, Middle East’ and the ‘Best Economy Class Airline, Middle East’ at the World Travel Awards in 2014. The airline has also been recognized in various leading publications including the American Express Executive Travel magazine which named Oman Air as the second best airline in the world in 2014 and the Business Insider which listed Oman Air in its world’ best airline list.

In Sri Lanka, Oman Air has established an ever-growing customer base by offering a range of affordable and comfortable flying experiences. The airline currently offers flights from Colombo to a variety of destinations including Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and many countries in the Gulf region. Additionally Oman Air also flies to the Maldives, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and a variety of European destinations such as London, Milan, Frankfurt, Paris and Zurich.  Oman Air also has a codeshare partnership with Emirates, SriLankan Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Garuda, KLM, Malaysian Airlines and Royal Jordanian. As Oman Air looks ahead to the future, Oman Air looks forward to playing a major role in supporting Sri Lanka’s commercial, industrial and tourism sectors by providing direct flights to all key destinations in the world.