by Noah Bovenizer

Oman Air will drop several of its routes to Asia following a restructuring of operations that aims to improve financial performance and strengthen its position in the Middle East. 

The largely regional airline said that it will be cancelling four routes to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as part of the restructuring, as well as moving three of its routes to seasonal operations and reducing the frequency of flights to some destinations. 

Additionally, a statement outlining an optimisation of the airline’s schedule said: “To better cater to the Omani market and serve key flows in and out of Oman, flight times have been revised for several of its destinations, with emphasis on more favourable slots to offer greater convenience for direct passengers and maximise connection windows.” 

However, alongside the reduction of flights to some routes, the airline said it will be adding flights to Sialkot in Pakistan to its offering, and increasing capacity to Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram in India. 

The strategic changes likely reflect the airline’s attempt to compete in the highly competitive Middle East market, which is dominated by some of the world’s biggest airlines, such as Emirates and Qatar Airways. 

In addition to its own ambitions, Oman Air also tied the restructuring to maintaining its alignment with its home country’s 2040 vision, a two-decade plan outlining economic, environmental and cultural ambitions for the country. 

While not as large as the flag carriers of its neighbouring countries, Oman’s airline has been carrying out a major transformation plan since August 2023 to fuel its expansion over the next three to four years, including building on its partnership with the UK's Chelsea Football Club.

This article was first published by MEED's sister site Airport Technology