Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: Oman Air’s CEO has expressed concern over delays in construction of the second runway at Muscat International Airport.
The under-construction international airport needs to make a second runway available as soon as the new passenger terminal opens, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Gregorowitsch, said.
He added that the second runway is required to cater to the planned growth and on-going contribution of the company to the national economy.
“There was a plan to have two runways and one passenger building. But the work for the runway has not begun,” he said, adding that it is affecting investments of the national airline and that such investments have been made against a challenging economic background.
Year-on-year reductions in the levels of support offered to Oman Air by the government in 2014, 2015 and 2016 are set to continue and over-capacity within the air travel market is driving prices down, the airline reported in a statement.
Fleet and network expansion has seen a parallel expansion in the number of staff employed internationally, resulting in increases in payroll costs. “The passenger terminal has faced delays because obviously the original plan to open the new Muscat airport was not 2016. Due to the fact this is delayed also, no work has started for the second runway yet and the tender is ongoing. And I would like to urge as the chief of the national carrier, stick to your approved Gregorowitsch said.
Senior officials said that lack of runways is adding to air traffic congestion. “Sometimes our flights get delayed due to this,” the official said.
He also claimed that Oman Air will reach an operational break-even result by 2017.
In 2016, the Government of Oman’s financial support for Oman Air was 34 million and it has contributed 415 million to the national economy, according to Oman Air.
In 2015, the financial support for Oman Air was 54 million while 410 million was contributed to the Omani economy.
Gregorowitsch also outlined the vision and objectives of the airline. He stated that Oman Air’s vision is “to become the best,” and that its objectives are to be a safe airline, to be the airline of first choice, to make money by increasing revenues and reducing costs, to cater for growth as set out in the company’s ten-year plan, and to contribute to the development of the Sultanate.
“Despite substantial economic challenges, Oman Air is therefore in a strong position to continue its progress towards becoming a successful, sustainable company of the highest quality: in other words, To Become the Best,” the CEO said.
