The Sultan of Oman recently paid a state visit to the Netherlands. It yielded good news. Oman Air will offer a direct flight between Amsterdam and Muscat from 1 July. We speak to Con Korfiatis, CEO of Oman Air.
What is the relationship between Oman and the Netherlands?
‘Part of the agenda in recent days was focused on strengthening our trade ties between the two countries. We expect that this will result in new opportunities. In addition, we are looking at the industries that are being developed in Oman within the framework of the Vision 2040 programme with the aim of attracting investments.’
Oman Air will deploy the Boeing 787 to Amsterdam. What can we expect?
‘The product is world-class. The many awards we have won speak for themselves. Last year we were placed in the top ten airlines worldwide. And that is purely based on the quality of our product. Whether it’s the service, our lounge in Muscat that is one of the top three in the world, or our modern aircraft, both narrow-body and wide-body, we strive for the highest quality.’
Can you elaborate on the cabin products and the service on board?
‘In business class, we offer fully flat seats, as the traveller would expect. We had a Business Studio that was originally intended as first class, but it didn’t appeal to our target group. After a redesign as a business studio, it now works well. In economy class, we were awarded the award for best seat comfort in the Middle East last year, just ahead of Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. Our crew was also named the best in the Middle East last year. And I can already reveal that next month we will receive a global award for our food in 2025. The recognitions are piling up. It really is a very high-quality airline. I have to say that I don’t deserve any credit for this myself. I am proud of my predecessors and the way we have approached this from a customer perspective has been very successful.’
What is typical for the Omani on board?
‘I think the Omani culture also plays a big part in this. The friendliness that people experience in Oman – in hotels, taxis, restaurants – continues on board through the attitude of our crew. Our challenge is to maintain this high level. We invested a lot in our food on board last year and now offer a kind of Omani tasting menu. Elements of this are also coming to economy class this year. In addition, we have modern European dishes on the menu, served restaurant style.’
How does the local culture contribute to the experience on board?
‘When I first moved to the Middle East, many people told me that the people in the Middle East are very friendly, but that this is even more true in some countries. Most people called Oman the country with the friendliest people. Now that I live there and experience it myself, I can confirm that. I think a lot of the atmosphere on board comes from this culture.’
You mentioned Oman’s Vision 2040 programme. What exactly does this entail and how does Oman Air fit into it?
‘The Vision 2040 programme is an ambitious plan by the Omani government to diversify the economy and achieve sustainable growth. Tourism is an important pillar within this plan. For Oman Air, this means that we work hand in hand with the Oman Tourism Board to promote Oman as a destination and our airline. Historically, we may have focused too much on transit traffic, but now we are increasingly focusing on point-to-point traffic, where we fly travellers directly to Oman. This is a unique advantage, especially for destinations like Amsterdam, where a direct flight is considerably faster than via one of the major hubs in the region. We see that this strategy is working; our occupancy rate in January and February of this year was the highest in the airline’s history. The hotel sector and related industries in Oman are also experiencing strong growth.’
How does Oman Air and Oman compete with the major hubs in the region?
‘We have realised that competing with the major hubs on their transit strategy is not our strength. Our focus is now on exploiting the unique advantage that Oman is an attractive point-to-point destination. For travellers from Amsterdam, for example, we offer a direct connection, which saves a considerable amount of time compared to a transfer via another hub. Our strategy is paying off; the share of point-to-point travellers has increased from 15% to 55% in a short period of time.’
Which transit destinations are interesting for the Dutch market via Oman Air?
‘Geographically, these are of course other parts of the Middle East. A combination of a relaxing stay in Oman with, for example, a short visit to dynamic Dubai is certainly possible. Dubai is only a short flight of 40 minutes, and we have five flights a day. In addition, we offer good connections to the entire GCC region, Cairo, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, with which Oman has historical ties. Interestingly, the Omani cuisine has a slight African influence, which sets it apart from other parts of the GCC. The connectivity to the Far East is also good.’
You work together with the Oman Tourism Board. What is the biggest challenge in promoting both the airline and the destination?
‘Indeed, our collaboration is essential. The biggest challenge is to make people aware of both the quality of Oman Air and the unique appeal of Oman as a destination. Dubai has built a strong brand over the years, but many people are not aware of what other countries in the GCC have to offer, such as Oman with its natural beauty and authentic culture.’
