Oman Air to start direct flights to Manchester and Nairobi

Muscat: Oman Air, the Sultanate’s national carrier will start direct flights to Nairobi, Kenya from March 27 and to Manchester, United Kingdom from May 1, an official of the airline said on Tuesday.
The flight to Nairobi will leave Muscat at 2.50pm and arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 6.55pm whereas the flight to Manchester will leave Muscat at 2pm and reach Manchester’s T3 terminal at 7.05pm.
Oman Air is undertaking an ambitious growth programme to expand its network and ensure international connectivity.
The airline’s network expansion programme has been running parallel to a major fleet expansion programme that has seen the addition of Airbus A330, Boeing 737 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to the airline’s fleet, and will witness Oman Air operate 70 aircraft by 2020.
A new Boeing 737-800 had joined its fleet on the occasion of the Sultanate’s 46th National Day on November 18. “This was the sixth brand new Boeing 737-800 to join the Oman Air fleet this year as part of the airline’s expansion plan. Oman Air has operated B737s for many years and these aircraft are the backbone of the airline’s long and medium haul fleet,” it said.
With the addition of the new Boeing 737-800, Oman Air’s fleet strength stands at 46 and it currently flies to 54 destinations worldwide. Currently, Oman Air’s fleet consists of four Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 22 Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-700 and four Embraer 175s. Three more Boeing 737-800s are scheduled to join the fleet next year.
Travel agents said Africa and the United Kingdom have always been one of the key markets for Oman Air. “London Heathrow has been a flagship route for Oman Air and the fact that the carrier added a second daily frequency is a clear indication of the strong demand for flights between these two great cities,” Oman Air said.
The Chief Commercial Officer of Oman Air, Abdulrahman Al Busaidy, had recently announced: “A major highlight of our summer schedule will be our daily flight to Manchester, complementing the double daily service we currently offer to London. The new service will provide easy access for international visitors in the north of the United Kingdom and many more British travellers will enjoy the convenience of connecting with Oman Air’s global network.”
In April 2016, Oman Air launched a second daily Muscat-London Heathrow flight.