Think of Middle Eastern carriers, and two or three big names likely spring to mind. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad have rewritten the international flight map, channeling millions of passengers through their respective hub airports every week.
The trio – often known as “The Big Three” – have garnered global brand recognition with sports sponsorships and Hollywood star endorsements. But there is another tier of Middle Eastern airline that flies the flag without quite so much fuss. Think Royal Jordanian, Bahrain’s Gulf Air, and Saudia.
Another prime candidate for that list is Oman Air. CEO Con Korfiatis, who joined last May, acknowledged the airline is “not as globally known as many others,” but the goal is to change that in a meaningful way.
Central to the plan is the oneworld alliance, which Oman Air officially joined on June 30.
“This is quite a significant day for us commercially,” said Korfiatis. “We’re on a path to transform the airline behind the scenes from being a legacy airline into one run a little bit more on business fundamentals.”
How Oman Air Got Oneworld-Ready
Compared to its new oneworld peers – which include enormous companies such as American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific – Oman Air is a relative minnow.
It currently serves 42 destinations and operates 33 aircraft – most of which are smaller narrowbody planes. However, oneworld membership instantly connects it to 900 destinations globally, with expanded codesharing across the alliance’s network. “It’s kind of a monumental step for our airline, especially for our size,” said Korfiatis.
Industry veteran Mike Rutter also joined Oman Air in May 2024 as part of a shake-up of the company’s senior leadership team. The chief commercial officer was candid in his assessment of the rate of change within the airline: “Around 18 months ago, we were in the middle of a transformation. I don’t think the actual journey of moving into oneworld would have been something that the airline could have [then] managed… It brings a measure of the capability which the airline now has.”
The changes aren’t limited to backroom operations. Rutter pointed to recent initiatives including new year-round services to Moscow and Amsterdam, as well as the launch of a refreshed Oman stopover product. A new holiday package platform is also due to go live later this month. For an airline that saw previous growth spurts flop, this latest effort appears to have a much stronger foundation.
For Rutter’s commercial brief, one of the clearest benefits of oneworld membership is expanded global connectivity – particularly to major markets: “To the east, it allows us to more fundamentally serve Australasia and Japan. To the west, it offers the ability to bring the Americas fully into play.”
No Nonstop U.S. Route
A newly announced double-daily service to London Heathrow will serve as a critical link to North America via new alliance partners British Airways and American Airlines.
Despite this – or perhaps because of this – Korfiatis played down the likelihood of nonstop U.S. flights from Muscat in the near future: “There’s probably nowhere they [oneworld partners] don’t fly in terms of connecting the Americas to Europe and connecting with us where we’ve got a pretty good network.
“That gives us access to far more market opportunity than taking an aircraft from [Muscat] daily or four days a week, point-to-point to one place in North America for example. I don’t see it in the short to medium term,” he added.
Oman Air doesn’t yet serve Iberia’s oneworld hub in Madrid, but given the Spanish capital’s exceptional connectivity to Latin America, it is likely to be high on the list as its long-haul network develops.
Along with closer network integration, another key benefit of alliance membership is reciprocal loyalty recognition. Rutter confirmed that a three-phase integration of Oman Air’s Sindbad program into oneworld is already underway. The first step is already live, with the second and third “coming over the next few weeks.”
Rutter also hinted that further enhancements can be expected before the end of the year, which will “take our proposition to the level of many of those that we will now be working with in oneworld.”
A new loyalty currency is also under consideration, but Rutter stopped short of naming possible partners.
IAG Loyalty’s Avios platform is likely to be one of the frontrunners, with the system already in use at major oneworld partners including British Airways, Finnair, and Qatar Airways. Speaking to Skift last year, IAG Loyalty CEO Adam Daniels confirmed that the company was in talks with other airlines as part of its vision to become a “global currency.”
The Tourism Factor
While a renewed focus on economic sustainability is a top priority, Oman Air has additional considerations, with Korfiatis describing the carrier as “a pillar in the country’s economic and strategic program.”
This initiative, known as “Vision 2040”, identifies tourism as a key growth sector for Oman. As part of the country’s broader effort to welcome more visitors, the airline is positioning itself to bring travelers to Oman’s under-the-radar attractions.
Korfiatis, who previously ran Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal, noted Oman’s distinct tourism appeal: “Oman feels like a large resort. It doesn’t feel like an urban metropolis that’s busy. It really does have a unique appeal about it.”
From fjords in the north to monsoon-fed greenery in the south, the country offers a surprisingly diverse landscape for visitors. “You wouldn’t homogenize and call Europe exactly the same, or say that about the Far East, or the Americas. And in the same way, the Middle East is made up of a lot of different places. We believe Oman as a destination has a very unique proposition. Our USP is Oman itself,” he added.
Cabin Overhauls, But No Premium Economy
As the 15th member of the oneworld alliance, Oman Air is in good company. Yet membership of the club inevitably brings comparisons between operators. One of the pinch points between airlines is the choice of cabin configuration, particularly on long-haul jets.
Many oneworld carriers offer a premium economy product, positioned between regular economy and business class cabins. This is a popular option for leisure travelers looking for a little more comfort, as well as corporate flyers whose company will not stump up for the extravagance of business class.
Oman Air doesn’t have premium economy. However, some of its widebody aircraft offer a three-class setup with business studio, business, and economy options.
Asked by Skift if oneworld membership could see premium economy introduced, Korfiatis downplayed the prospect: “It’s a good question, but it really depends on your network design for the relevance of the product. We don’t have any ultra-long-haul flying; the longest flight we have is just over eight hours. So the premium economy product we think is more relevant for a longer-haul carriage, and our short, medium-term network growth aspirations will keep us within that sort of sector length at the most, and on that basis we don’t see it as a relevant product for us.”
While premium economy is a non-starter for Oman Air, Korfiatis revealed to Skift that a broader overhaul is on the horizon: “We’re starting a process of relooking at the future cabins of Oman Air. We’ve got an award-winning product both in business and economy, but it was last picked about a decade ago, maybe a little bit longer, and we are looking now at what the next generation looks like and what we do with things like connectivity and [in-flight entertainment].”
The CEO also confirmed that a major transformation of the company’s business class product on single-aisle jets is also under review: “We’re exploring potential flatbeds on the narrowbody aircraft, which we’re using a bit more for longer-haul flying. The product we currently have is really good, but it was designed for about a three or four-hour range. So there’s lots of work going on in that space, but it’s not in premium economy class.”
An Airline Dating Exercise
Korfiatis suggested the decision to join oneworld over competing alliances wasn’t taken lightly. He likened the process to “a dating exercise,” acknowledging that the company had discussions with all three major global alliances – but why was oneworld selected over SkyTeam or Star Alliance?
“I think deep relationships, rather than having lots of relationships for the sake of lots of relationships, was a factor,” said the CEO. “And frankly, it’s the willingness of the other side. This is a marriage you both say yes to.
“I think the stars really aligned around oneworld quite clearly for us by the time we had gone through this exercise. Of course, you run metrics, revenue numbers, networks, and all of that, but overall it ticked the boxes for us. We’ve put two long years into getting ready to be where we are today, and we’re really happy to be here and really excited about the future.”
Skift also caught up with oneworld CEO, Nat Pieper to gauge his latest insights on the direction of the alliance. Look out for our story later in the week.
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