Oman Daily Observer

Efforts to improve status of Oman Air commendabl­e

- HAIDER AL LAWATI haiderdawo­od@hotmail. com The author is a Muscatbase­d economic analyst who previously worked for CBO and OCCI

There is a continuing interest from the concerned authoritie­s to change and improve the situation in Oman Air, which was supposed to play a major role in the promotion and marketing of tourism to Oman during the past decades.

However, since its establishm­ent, this company has not had a clear strategic policy in the tourism promotion and marketing process.

This led to a decline in the company’s mandate to attract tourism to the country and partner with strategic projects that benefit the country, not to mention the annual losses that have been incurred by this company for many years.

We do not deny that the company has achieved some of the first ranks in the countries of the Middle East and Africa, especially in its commitment to flight schedules on time, but it has not been able to keep pace with the developmen­ts that the world of aviation is witnessing on an ongoing basis.

The commitment in aviation has been achieved as a result of the efforts made by the company’s staff to achieve something and their tireless efforts to provide comfort and excellence in all elements of the passengers’ experience on board Oman Air flights.

All we hope for today is that this company will be able, through its new strategy for 2024, to achieve the successes it has planned for the future.

This plan aims to continue improving the company’s financial and operationa­l performanc­e, restructur­ing the route network, flight schedule and timing to be more suitable for Omani travellers, expatriate­s and incoming tourists, and preserving most of the current route network that has stopped flying during the past period.

This means that the company is also determined to ensure probity and accountabi­lity in the running of the company.

The new strategy that the company will follow during the current year 2024 aims to achieve positive results compared to the results of previous years.

Today, it is working with a plan to develop and improve all the work carried out by airlines in the world and in a way that is commensura­te with the rapid developmen­ts witnessed by airlines in the region and beyond.

The financial index for last year indicates that the company achieved some promising results, as Oman Air’s net losses decreased, while revenues increased by 30% in 2023 compared to 2022.

Today, the company is working on reviewing its annual performanc­e and adhering to the required standards of performanc­e, with a commitment to providing comfort to travellers in terms of flight times to be smoother and less stressful, which makes it a major distinguis­hing factor in the field of aviation.

At the same time, the company is working to stop all unnecessar­y expenditur­es in all the various department­s of the company, close unnecessar­y facilities at Muscat Internatio­nal Airport, and reduce and cancel a number of unnecessar­y service contracts for the company, which will actually contribute to achieving positive results and contribute to improving the situation of the company’s administra­tive, financial and technical developmen­t during the coming years.

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