Oman Air set to simplify fleet

Oman Air is set to simplify its fleet over the coming months and is likely to base its widebody operations around one type. The Middle East carrier operates a mixed widebody fleet of seven Airbus A330-200/300s and nine Boeing 787-8/9s, as well as 25 Boeing narrowbodies – a mix of 737 Max jets and -800/900s. Oman Air’s new CE Con Korfiatis said: ”The fleet continues to grow. We have to simplify our fleet in the coming months. Narrowbodies are relatively consistent and will sort itself out with natural expiration of leases pretty quickly. On the widebody side, we have got some older A330s and we’ve got some younger 787s. It makes sense to simplify around one aircraft [type], so don’t be surprised to see that soon.” Korfiatis, who has previously worked for JetStar Asia, Citilink, Qantas, Viva Macau and most recently led Saudi budget airline Flyadeal, was named CE in March. The appointment is crucial to Oman Air, which has embarked on a restructuring effort to turn around heavy losses, and Korfiatis will be tasked with steering the transformation programme. ”It really is a beautiful country and a beautiful asset at home from an inbound perspective and an airline that not only brings people to Oman, but also connects east to west because we do have a network to the east and to the sub-continent and to Europe,” he says.<br/>