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Oman Air is continuing its
aggressive fleet and market expansion program with the arrival this week of its latest Boeing Next-Generation 737. This new airplane, a
Boeing 737-700, was purchased directly from the manufacturer as part of a
five-airplane order that will replace Oman Air's current fleet of Airbus A310s and
older Boeing airplanes.
Beginning last December with the delivery of the
first of these advanced airplanes, the airline embarked upon a remarkable expansion program to
new destinations including Beirut, Lebanon; Mombasa, Kenya; and Zanzibar and Dar
Es Salaam, Tanzania. Last week the airline announced it would further expand its
existing operations to 17 destinations with three new routes: Karachi,
Pakistan; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Cairo, Egypt.
"The selection of the Next Generation 737 was a
strategic part of our expansion plans," said Abdul Rahman Al Busaidy, Oman Air chief executive
officer. "These new airplanes are helping us achieve unprecedented levels of reliability, fuel
efficiency and comfort. We are delighted, and so are our customers."
The Muscat-based flag carrier has reported
significant reductions in operating costs over its old fleet of A310s and expects large savings in
maintenance costs in the future.
"Oman Air's decision to renew and standardize its
fleet with Boeing's new family of Next Generation 737s will enable it to create a model of
operational efficiency and profitability in the Middle East," said Doug Groseclose, senior vice
president of International Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The performance and
advanced design of the Next Generation 737 make it perfectly suited to Oman
Air's vision for the future."
Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of
Oman, operates to international and domestic destinations including Abu Dhabi, Al
Ain, Chennai, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Khasab, Kuwait, Kochi,
Mumbai, Salalah and Trivandrum.
With a Boeing 737 departing from one of the
world's airports every 5.6 seconds, these are the best selling commercial airplanes in history with
over 5,000 orders to date. The new 737s fly higher, farther, faster and more efficiently than
any other airplane in its class. With extremely high reliability, easy maintenance and
operation, the new 737s are designed to maximize airline operational efficiency. |
