Oman Air has placed a firm order for 20 units of the Boeing 737 Max single-aisle aircraft model. The order includes the conversion of six units of Boeing 737NG, which have been on order, according to UK news agency Reuters.

The cost of the 737 Max ranges from $90m to $116m a unit. It features new technologies that could increase fuel efficiency by up to 1.8 per cent and potentially decrease operating costs by as much as 8 per cent, according to Boeing.

Oman Air is understood to operate 21 Boeing 737 aircraft and has no Airbus A320s. The new order doubles the size of its 737 fleet.

The order follows the delivery on 11 October of Oman Air’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline is understood to have ordered six units of the 787-8s in 2011, as part of its expansion plans.

Oman Air’s first Dreamliner commences its daily flights between Oman and Frankfurt in Germany on 25 October.

In addition to expanding the airline’s fleet, Oman is spending billions of dollars to improve airport infrastructure and increase the country’s overall aviation capacity, as part of an effort to expand its economy and boost its tourism sector. Tourism currently accounts for about 3 per cent of Oman’s GDP and indirectly supports 70,000 jobs.

The expansion of Muscat International airport is being undertaken in four phases, with capacity expected to increase to 12 million passengers annually in phase one, 24 million in phase two, 36 million in phase three and 48 million in phase four.

The new Salalah airport, located in the Dhofar governorate, opened in June, with an initial capacity of 1 million passengers annually.

A new regional airport is also planned in Musandam, in line with the sultanate’s infrastructure development programme. The Transport & Communications Ministry is seeking consultants to undertake a feasibility study for the proposed airport and additional runways.