Flag carrier Oman Air has announced its new Winter 2015/16 schedule which sees a major upgrade to its Frankfurt service, and the introduction of a new service to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Oman Air’s service between Muscat and Frankfurt is now operated using the airline’s brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The iconic jet was first delivered to Oman Air at the beginning of October. Following an inaugural flight from Muscat to Salalah on October 18, it first flew to Frankfurt on October 25. Since the route was first launched in 2009, using Airbus 330s, Oman Air has experienced huge demand for seats.

Deployment of the Dreamliner, with its enhanced capacity of 18 Business Class and 249 Economy Class seats, enables Oman Air to meet significant ongoing growth within the German market. Furthermore, Oman Air is now the only airline to offer direct flights from Germany to Oman.

The launch – also on October 25- of Oman Air’s new service from Muscat to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka has similarly been undertaken in response to strong consumer demand. The route is Oman Air’s second to Bangladesh and 18th on the Indian Sub-Continent. It provides essential support for Bangladesh’s sizeable expatriate workforce, as well as increased opportunities for leisure travellers to discover the country’s extensive natural beauty.

The service currently offers four flights per week, with six frequencies per week expected from December 1.

Whilst Frankfurt and Dhaka provide the centerpiece for Oman Air’s Winter 2015/16 schedule, a wide range of other changes bring increased choice and convenience for air travellers. One change of note is an increase in the number of flights between Muscat and Paris from four per week to five, which took effect from October 25. And from the same date, the number of flights from Muscat to the Indian leisure destination of Goa increased from four flights per week to six flights per week.

Meanwhile, three more of Oman Air’s most popular services will also receive a significant boost. Flights from Muscat to Colombo, in Sri Lanka, have increased in number from 10 per week to double-daily. Flights between Muscat and Dammam, in Saudi Arabia, have increased in frequency from 14 per week to 16 per week. And services between Muscat and Tehran are set to increase from seven flights per week to 10 flights per week from November 15, in response to high levels of consumer demand.

In addition to increased frequencies, Oman Air’s Winter schedule notes that a number of routes will benefit from upgrades in the types of aircraft that operate on them. Following the introduction of Dreamliner flights to Frankfurt, the Boeing 787s will also be deployed on services between Muscat and Milan from December 1. Dreamliners will also be deployed on one flight per day between Muscat and Salalah, in the south of Oman, from December 1.

Also within the Gulf region, flights from Muscat to Jeddah and Riyadh will be operated using Oman Air’s award-winning Airbus 330s. The aircraft will supersede Boeing 737s on the routes. And flights to Khasab, Oman’s northern enclave will be operated using Embraer 175s. The Embraers will replace ATR42s which are currently deployed on the route and are due to be phased out from Oman Air’s fleet.

Welcoming the changes indicated in Oman Air’s Winter 2015/16 schedule, Paul Gregorowitsch, chief executive officer at Oman Air, said: “As Oman Air’s fleet and network continue to grow, we are delighted to be offering our customers even greater choice and convenience. The changes we have announced in our Winter 2015/16 schedule will introduce greater frequencies to many of our most popular destinations. Furthermore, the introduction of our Dreamliners to destinations in Europe and Oman, and the deployment of larger and more modern aircraft on other routes, will allow us to surprise and delight many more customers."

Oman Air’s Winter 2015/16 schedule is in operation from now until March 27, 2016. – TradeArabia News Service