Emirates Celebrates 20 Years of Services to Oman
Following news release is issued for Emirates Airline:
News Release, 3 July 2013
Emirates Celebrates 20 Years of Services to Oman
Emirates Airline is marking 20 years of service to Muscat, having carried nearly 2.4 million passengers on the route since flights began on July 1, 1993.
Among the first to offer his congratulations was Finance Manager Sadiq Khaliq, Emirates’ longest serving Omani member of staff who joined dnata’s Finance department in 1969 before moving to Emirates when the airline was formed 16 years later.
“Twenty years of service to Muscat is a great achievement and I am pleased that Emirates has gradually developed this route,” said Mr Khaliq.
There are direct connections with Oman at Dubai in each direction with all four daily Emirates New Zealand flights. The airline currently has two flights a day serving Muscat from Dubai, normally operated with an Airbus A330-200 in a three class configuration, but sometimes upgraded to a larger Boeing 777, depending on demand.
A total of 79 Omani staff are employed across the Emirates Group in a variety of roles, among them 15 cabin crew and eight pilots.
“To my surprise, I was the first Omani pilot to join Emirates in March 1995, said Airbus A380 Captain, Saleh Alkharusi, who has proudly watched Emirates grow in the Omani capital.
“The Muscat sector is memorable to fly because you have the stunning Dubai coastline on departure, passing the Burj Khalifa, and then you’re met with the distinctive Oman coastline as you approach Muscat. Soon, the new terminal will open at Muscat International Airport, presenting further opportunities for Emirates,” Captain Alkharusi added.
Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President for the Gulf, Middle East and Iran, said the 20th anniversary is an important milestone for all those who have been involved with Muscat and the 2.39 million passengers who have travelled to and from Dubai.
“When you think that Muscat was our 30th destination and we now have 134 routes, it demonstrates the extraordinary growth of the airline in a relatively short space of time,” added Sheikh Majid.
ENDS