The resumption of Qatar Airways’ services from Muscat is a significant milestone, indicating the gradual reopening of travel in the Middle East
The airline’s young fleet of sustainable aircraft has enabled it to maintain its position as the leading airline providing global connectivity with over 680 weekly flights to more than 90 destinations.
Qatar Airways is pleased to announce the resumption of two weekly flights from Muscat, Oman, and another two weekly flights in codeshare with Oman Air. The first service touched down at Muscat International Airport on 1 October 2020.
Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of international air travel, offering more global connectivity than any other airline. With the airline’s network never falling below 30 destinations throughout the pandemic, the resumption of services to Oman will see the airline’s global network more than triple in size by mid-October. Flying to over 90 destinations worldwide with more than 680 weekly flights, Qatar Airways now operate two flights per week to and from Muscat International Airport, providing seamless connection from Oman to the US, Europe, Africa, and Levant regions.
Qatar Airways’ Acting Vice President for Middle East, Levant and Caucasus region, Bennet Stephens, said: “We are excited to resume scheduled services to Muscat, setting a new milestone in the gradual rebuilding of our regional network. During the COVID-19 crisis, Qatar Airways has been committed to bringing people home and reuniting family and friends with their loved ones. Passengers travelling from Muscat can now enjoy enhanced connectivity to many key global destinations across our expanding network including London, New York, Houston and Montreal via our award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport.”
The national carrier of the State of Qatar has been flying to Oman since 2000, when it first began direct services to the Omani capital, Muscat. A codeshare agreement between Qatar Airways and Oman Air allows passengers from Oman to benefit from more options and enhanced connectivity to the most popular destinations in Europe and United States of America via Hamad International Airport.
To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has extended its commitment to offering passengers flexibly booking options. For full terms and conditions visit qatarairways.com/RelyOnUs.
According to the latest IATA data, Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier between April to July 2020 by fulfilling its mission of bringing people home. This enabled the airline to accumulate unmatched experience in carrying passengers safely and reliably as well as position the airline to effectively rebuild its network. The carrier has stringently implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures on board its aircraft and in Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Airways’ onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with the Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business class seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 40 destinations including Paris, Seoul, Cape Town and Los Angeles. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.
Qatar Airways’ operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. The airline’s variety of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has meant it can continue flying by offering the right capacity in each market. Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market. The airline’s fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions.
Qatar Airways’ home and hub, HIA, has implemented stringent cleaning procedures and applied social distancing measures throughout its terminals. Passenger touchpoints are sanitized every 10-15 minutes and boarding gates and bus gate counters are cleaned after each flight. In addition, hand sanitizers are provided at immigration and security screening points. HIA was recently ranked ‘Third Best Airport in the World’, among 550 airports worldwide, by the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2020. HIA was also voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.
