Flag carrier Oman Air carried over 8 million passengers in 2017, a record 10.9 per cent increase compared to 7.7 million passengers ferried in 2016, said a report.

According to company statistics, Oman Air continued its ambitious expansion programme in the fleet and its airline network with the addition of a number of new aircraft, a report in Times of Oman said.

The number of scheduled flights by Oman Air increased in 2017 to 68,457 flight compared with 30,978 in 2016, the report said.

With regard to commercial freight operations, the statistics showed that they performed well, as commercial cargo operations increased during the year 2017 to reach 98,780 tons.

Furthermore, Oman Air achieved a good on time performance with 87 per cent and in the technical dispatch reliability per aircraft amounted to 99.1 per cent, it said.

Oman Air continued to receive more prestigious awards from various destinations in the airline industry in 2017, reaching 12 international awards recognising the high level of services offered by the airline to passengers on its fleet.