Oman Air, the Sultanate's national carrier, will back at World Travel Market (WTM) in London this month to celebrate five years of operation of its flagship daily non-stop and direct route flights between Muscat and London.

The route was launched in November 2007, initially flying into Gatwick, before switching in 2009 to Heathrow Terminal 3, said a statement from Oman Air.

Over its five years of operation, the route has seen the introduction of brand new Airbus A330 aircraft and the unveiling of Oman Air’s first-ever First Class cabin, the launch of the world’s first full in-flight connectivity with both mobile phone and wifi internet access, and the confirmation of the UK as the source of the greatest number of visitors to the Sultanate, it added.

Oman Air will be represented at WTM by its chief commercial officer, Abdulrazaq Al Raisi, and country manager for UK and Ireland, Rohan Alce.

They will be joined by teams from both Oman and the UK at the airline’s magnificent two-storey stand, built with a blend of traditional Omani and modern design.

It will host representatives of the travel trade and media, as well as individual travellers who wish to find out why Oman’s reputation as the perfect destination continues to grow.

"We are looking forward to once again having a major presence at WTM, where Oman Air will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of its service between Muscat and London," remarked CEO Wayne Pearce.

"This route has been a resounding success for Oman Air, confirming London as a flagship destination within our continuously-growing network and underlying the valued and long-established relationship between the two countries," he added.

In addition to the fifth anniversary celebration, Oman Air will be showcasing its A330 Business Class seat, following its second consecutive win in the “World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat” category of the World Airline Awards.

The awards, operated by independent airline specialists Skytrax, are based on a year-long, worldwide survey of more than 18 million air travellers and also saw Oman Air placed within the top ten rankings of a further eight categories.

In his comments, Al Raisi said, "Having won an average of one international award per month over the last three years, Oman Air has ascended to the top tier of international airlines and offers luxury not just in business class, but in every class."

"However, we also offer great value – as our current online offers show – and we look forward at WTM to working with members of the travel trade to ensure that as many people as possible are able to make the most of that value," he added.-TradeArabia News Service