Bangkok--24 Aug--PLA Communication
Oman Air and Malaysia Airlines entered a code-share partnership today, opening up more international destinations to their customers, effective immediately.
Oman Air’s passengers who currently enjoy direct flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok will now be connected to 6 new destinations in Malaysia and Asia; Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Kuching, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Malaysia Airlines’ customers will enjoy non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Muscat. From the capital of Oman, they will be able to connect seamlessly to Amman and Kuwait City. This partnership also provides passengers with more flight options to Dubai and Beirut.
Oman Air CEO Mr Peter Hill said, “We are very happy with this remarkable code-share agreement which marks a very important milestone for Oman Air. Apart from Oman Air passengers benefiting from the added destinations through this code-share, it will also present them the opportunity to experience the exemplary services of Malaysia Airlines.”
“We are sure this opportunity will be seized by the discerning passengers of Malaysian Airlines, on top of tasting the unparalleled services of Oman Air and visiting Oman and the unique destinations Oman Air flies to,” he added.
Malaysia Airlines Managing Director / CEO, Tengku Dato’ Azmil Zahruddin said, “This is an opportune time for our two airlines as we endeavour to provide more choices to our customers. This also enables us to grow tourism to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Kuching initially and then to other points in Malaysia.
“In addition, this partnership expands and strengthens our hub-and-spoke network. We will be able to capture untapped traffic from secondary points in Middle East through Muscat onto our network. We target to capture approximately 60% of the existing traffic to Kuala Lumpur and beyond, valued at more than RM26 million per annum. Many travellers are currently travelling to Kuala Lumpur and beyond via other Middle Eastern points.”
This partnership will also pave the way for closer co-operation between the two airlines on a range of other joint initiatives, including collaboration on frequent flyer programmes, ground handling, customer support, cargo and airport lounge access.
Oman Air offers 4 weekly flights between Muscat and Kuala Lumpur. With this partnership, its customers will enjoy many weekly flight options to Langkawi (35x), Kota Kinabalu (62x), Penang (63x), Kuching (49x), Singapore (49x) and Hong Kong (14x).
Malaysia Airlines currently offers 17 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai (7x), Jeddah (4x), Beirut (3x) and Istanbul (3x). It also operates seasonal flights between Kuwait and Kuala Lumpur in line with summer demand from Middle East to Malaysia and beyond.
About Oman Air
As the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Air prides itself on offering guests a welcome that mirrors the genuine warmth and hospitality of this remarkable country.
Founded in 1993, Oman Air’s first flight was from Muscat to Salalah and the airline has since expanded to offer direct flights to key Gulf, European, African and Asian destinations. In doing so, Oman Air has played a major role in enabling Muscat to become a vital traffic hub in the Middle East, offering a thriving background for business and tourism.
Owned 99.61% by the government of Oman, the airline’s headquarters are based at Muscat International Airport in Muscat, Oman.
Oman Air’s international fleet consists of Boeing 737s and Airbus A330s wide-body jets. To date, the fleet strength is 15 B737s, three A330-200s and three A330-300s, in addition to 2 ATR 42-500s aircraft. During 2011, one additional A330s will be entering service. The airline also has six Boeing 787s Dreamliners and five Embraer E175s aircraft on order.
The airline currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to major Gulf destinations, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh. In addition, Oman Air flies to ten destinations in India — Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Jaipur; to Chittagong in Bangladesh. Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan, London Heathrow, Bangkok in Thailand, Cairo, Beirut and Amman, Jordan, Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, Paris in France, Male in the Maldives and Colombo in Sri Lanka. On 1st May 2010 Oman Air launched flights to Kuala Lumpur and to Dar Es Salaam since June 2010. Within the Middle East, flights to Al Ain and Ras Al Khaima in UAE were also introduced in May 2010.
Oman Air’s on-time performance (OTP) exceeds 95% and continues to improve.
Last November, Oman Air unveiled its new Airbus A330 Economy, Business and First Class cabins. Each cabin offers fantastic comfort, space and in-flight entertainment that offers audio video on demand and live satellite TV. The current introduction of mobile and wi-fi connectivity in all classes, a world first, has seen the A330-300 described as “the most highly connected international widebody in operation today”. Economy seats have a 34-inch pitch and the lie-flat Business Class seat offers greater levels of comfort and amenity than many other airlines’ first class products. The First Class cabin is one of the most luxurious available anywhere and, with just six seats and an exclusive lounge area, is reminiscent of private jet travel.
Oman Air’s investment in new technology, planning and innovative products confirm the airline as a major Middle East carrier and international airline and provide the foundation for further sustainable growth over the years to come. Oman Air became the first airline in the world to introduce both OnAir internet and OnAir mobile phone services.
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com) is the national carrier of Malaysia, flying nearly 40,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide across 6 continents. The distinctive Malaysia Airlines brand is an extension of the special culture of warmth and friendliness unique to Malaysians. This inimitable Malaysian sense of graciousness is branded as “Malaysian Hospitality” and symbolized by the acronym MH which is also the airline’s flight code.
Malaysia Airlines holds a lengthy record of service and best practices excellence and is also one of only 6 airlines worldwide to be accredited a "5-Star Airline" by Skytrax, an accomplishment it has achieved for 6 consecutive years, 2005-2010. In the World Airline Awards 2010, Malaysia Airlines won 2 awards, the “Staff Service Excellence for Asia” and “World's Best Economy Class”. It has also received the accolade of “World’s Best Cabin Staff” by Skytrax over six years, 2001-2004, 2007 and 2009 — the most for any airline.