SEATTLE, July 09, 2002 -- Oman Air is continuing its aggressive fleet and market expansion program with the arrival this week of its latest Boeing Next-Generation 737. This new airplane, a Boeing 737-700, was purchased directly from the manufacturer as part of a five-airplane order that will replace Oman Air's current fleet of Airbus A310s and older Boeing airplanes.
Beginning last December with the delivery of the first of these advanced airplanes, the airline embarked upon a remarkable expansion program to new destinations including Beirut, Lebanon; Mombasa, Kenya; and Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Last week the airline announced it would further expand its existing operations to 17 destinations with three new routes: Karachi, Pakistan; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Cairo, Egypt.
"The selection of the Next Generation 737 was a strategic part of our expansion plans," said Abdul Rahman Al Busaidy, Oman Air chief executive officer. "These new airplanes are helping us achieve unprecedented levels of reliability, fuel efficiency and comfort. We are delighted, and so are our customers."
The Muscat-based flag carrier has reported significant reductions in operating costs over its old fleet of A310s and expects large savings in maintenance costs in the future.
"Oman Air's decision to renew and standardize its fleet with Boeing's new family of Next Generation 737s will enable it to create a model of operational efficiency and profitability in the Middle East," said Doug Groseclose, senior vice president of International Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The performance and advanced design of the Next Generation 737 make it perfectly suited to Oman Air's vision for the future."
Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, operates to international and domestic destinations including Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Chennai, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Khasab, Kuwait, Kochi, Mumbai, Salalah and Trivandrum.
With a Boeing 737 departing from one of the world's airports every 5.6 seconds, these are the best selling commercial airplanes in history with over 5,000 orders to date. The new 737s fly higher, farther, faster and more efficiently than any other airplane in its class. With extremely high reliability, easy maintenance and operation, the new 737s are designed to maximize airline operational efficiency.
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