Saturday 27 / July / 2024
Muscat: Muscat will be connected to more Asian destinations as Thai AirAsia X begins flying to Bangkok from June 28 and Oman Air spreads its wings to China from September 18, according to aviation experts.
Oman Air will start its debut flight to Guangzhou on September 18 on one of Oman Air’s prized Airbus A330-200, according to Routesonline.com.
It also reported that Oman Air will make four flights per week. According to reports, Oman Air’s maiden flight WY851 will take off at 9:40 am local time and is expected to arrive in Guangzhou at 9:05 pm local time.
On the return, the Oman Air flight WY852 from Guangzhou, will depart at 9:10 am local time and arrive in Muscat at 12:45 pm local time.
Oman Air also confirmed the flight schedule, but added that they have opened reservations pending the Chinese Government’s approval.
Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia X will also start its operations from next month. Confirming this, Krittiyawadee Pongpanich, Corporate Communications and Events’ executive at Thai AirAsia X Co. Ltd, said the airline will be flying thrice a week to Muscat (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) from June 28 onwards.
Important milestone
In a statement, Nadda Buranasiri, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia X, said the new Middle East routes, such as Tehran and Muscat, are an important milestone for the airline, making it the first Thai low-fare carrier to fly to the region.
“These additions offer great convenience by directly connecting Don Mueang to Tehran and Don Mueang to Muscat, with three flights a week for each destination. The airline is also confident that the two cities, with their great travel and investment potential, will prove popular among Thai travellers,” said Nadda.
“The new destinations also fit in with the Thai government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s strategies, which call for increased penetration of new markets, especially new SME markets. The airline will use its low fares to expand its customer base and has plans for even further market expansion,” he added.
Nadda also viewed the new Thai AirAsia X routes as an opportunity to attract Middle Eastern travellers to Thailand via Iran and Oman, making them gateways to Bangkok.
He also noted that Thailand is already a popular destination for the Iranian and Omani people, especially in terms of tourism, medicine and health care, segments that spend an average THB6,500 per day per person while visiting.
“Oman, is the ‘place’ for adventure, making it perfect for Thai people, who are yet to go on a desert journey. We are sure tourist numbers from Thailand to both Iran and Oman will grow satisfyingly,” Nadda said.
Thai AirAsia X will operate its flights to Tehran and Muscat with Airbus A330-300s, offering 12 Premium Flat Bed business class seats and 365 economy class seats on each aircraft.
