Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: Indian nationals in Oman who wish to fly back home can now travel to nine cities back home, after Oman Air and SalamAir announced flights to these destinations.
The news comes after the decision to create an air bubble for passengers travelling to and from the two countries. Starting from 8 October, Oman Air will operate two flights a week to connect Muscat with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi. Flights to and from Delhi will depart and arrive in each city on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Flights to and from Mumbai will connect on Sundays and Thursdays. Flights connecting Muscat and Kochi will depart and arrive in each city on Sundays and Thursdays.
“Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety programme throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently,” said a statement from the airline. “Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day.
“All cabin crew wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety and a number of other steps have been taken to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times,” added Oman Air.
Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, paca.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate, while those departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com. Passengers travelling to India should ensure that they are aware of official requirements to enter the country.
SalamAir, meanwhile, will operate passenger flights twice a week to six cities: Kozhikode, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram, until the end of November.
Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir said, “India is one of the most important markets for all airlines operating in the Middle East due to the size of its population, number of tourists, and expat residents. SalamAir has operated nearly 700 chartered flights to overseas destinations over the last three months, with many of them flying to India. “This has enabled us to gain a lot of knowledge about the market and passengers’ expectations. This exposure will make our entry to the Indian market a smoother experience. We are working closely with concerned authorities to secure the necessary clearance to start permanent operations.”
The following categories of persons can fly on these flights: Any Indian national holding a valid residency permit can fly from India to Oman. Airlines must ensure the Indian nationals are eligible to enter Oman before issue of ticket/boarding pass to the Indian passenger.
Indian nationals stranded in Oman and all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding passports of Oman, and Nationals of Oman (including diplomats) holding valid visas issued by an Indian mission can also board these planes.
All operations are subject to strict adherence to the SOP issued by the civil aviation authorities and other COVID-19 related guidelines issued by the authorities from both sides.
All arrival and departure passengers must comply and follow all procedures and regulations outlined and published by concerned authorities for a safe travel experience.
The air bubble between the two countries is valid until 30 November.
Designated carriers of both countries are allowed to operate between India and Oman. Return flights to Oman from India are allowed to transport Omani nationals, as well as any Indian flying directly to the country, holding a valid residency permit.
