NEWS FLASH
Oman Air will operate a one-off charter service from Muscat to Belgrade on June 15 to bring back nationals who have lost employment in the sultanate due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent economic fallout. The carrier will deploy its Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route, with an expected time of departure from Muscat at 07.00 local time, and arrival at 10.40 CEST. Passengers who have signed up for the service come from the entire former Yugoslavia as well as Bulgaria and Romania.
I wish they would introduce flights to BEG but they recently failed in ATH so I am not holding my breath.
ReplyDeleteThe airline is doing since years huge debts, in 2017 and 2018 over 500 mio USD each year. So not much chance to see them in BEG as tourism in Oman is rather high end and just to move transit via MCT financially makes no benefit for them as yields are too low
ReplyDeleteOmanis do not need a visa for Serbia but they do for EU - big plus. There is a demand and they do visit thought not as much as Emiratis and Qataris but this could be attributed due to the lack of flights. If they wanted to, the airline could actually work on growing a P2P demand... maybe linking it with SJJ or DBV... and the 738 can do it so I would not write it off as a viable route eentually. Their finances on the other hand is a whole different matter and I agree that transit traffic would not be a priority.
DeleteThey could offer connections to Dubai now that Qatar is out of the picture and then there is India which is a growing market from BEG.
DeleteTourism from the Gulf region isnt that big in Serbia, regardless of the visa free access.
Delete2019 statistics show that only 4.791 Emiratis visited Serbia (+17,7%), as well as 9.497 Indians (+68,5%). Omanis and Qatars were grouped in the statistics of other non European countries due to the small numbers (non imporatnce). Emiratis have had direct flights for decades, and Qataris for the past several years, yet numbers are not that big.
Serbians need a visa for Oman, while Oman is relatively unknown to Serbian tourists. As for transit pax, the offering in MCT is poor compared to DOH, DXB and AUH.
Well look at the growth of Indians in Serbia, they could aim for that market. Seems like Indians will become the next Chinese in Serbia. It would be really fantastic, wouldn't it?
DeleteNot really. Serbia is the only European country to allow Indians visa free access while Serbians pay the most expensive tariff for their e-visa.
Delete2 years of visa free access and 9.500 tourists, it isnt alot. I think visas should be reinstated until at least the tariffs for their visas are removed.
Wow! Really now is there any country in the world that needs visa to enter in Serbia??!!! As I see everybody is welkomed in Serbia!! I wonder is this right or wrong?!
DeleteMany countries need visa to enter Serbia. Serbia facilitates holders of a Schengen visa or a US visa to enter Serbia visa free for up to 90 days, provided the visa is valid for the duration of stay.
DeleteHopefully someone gets it on video, the Oman Air livery is quite nice.
ReplyDeleteVery exotic in Belgrade, someone please take pictures!!!!
DeleteIn the region, both FlyBosnia and Air Serbia will operate repatriation flights to the UAE.
ReplyDelete15.06
FBS1611 SJJ DXB 0500 1030
FBS1612 DXB SJJ 1130 1730
JU will operate on the 20.06 departing AUH.
Is this the first time Oman Air has a flight to Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteThis is standard charter flight. All those passenger that lost jobs, their families, other paid ticket to go on this flight... and it was organized from the beggining by one of the passengers on the same flight.
ReplyDeleteIt's true - the flight was organised by Oman Air pilot of Sebrian origin. Without his perseverance it would have never happened. Most passingers are not being repatriated but wished to go home at least temporarily. There are also Hungarian, German, Swiss, British, Danish passingers on board. What we managed to achieve is borderline unbelievable given the circumstances. Can't wait to reach home on Monday.
ReplyDeleteYou should make a trip report of the flight.
DeleteAnon 08:23 +100
DeleteIf you would made this trip report it would be one of the best on the blog
DeleteHaha since I am not an airline professional, maybe I would not be the best person to write this story. In short it all started as a desperate online discussion in Oman's Serbian expat community - like what can we do as it seems there will be no commercial flights until July (more likely August). Some people started talking about chartered flight.. what if we could pool our resources together and "rent a plane". Few of our people, especially this one pilot took this proposition very seriously, and managed to organise a flight. It really seemed unbelievable first because we needed 150 passingers and our community here is not that big. Also it involved considerable risk from the organiser who needed to guarantee a downpayment. A top of that lots of logistics , negotiation with different aviation authority. I mean no body managed to do anything similar from here especially is it is not repatriation flight. Most passingers just wanted to go home for now or send their families away. All in all for a noncommercial flight dependant on pooled community resources this is truly amazing feat of collaboration. I'll try to post some updates from the flight but the best would if you contacted the pilot who knows more and who all of us can thank for this. Really I was rarely in my life so proud on our community as now.
DeleteHello Mitra, since me and my college are stuck in the Salalah and we really want to go home, we tried everything, writing to consul and all and we still dont have a solution, can you somehow help us we are from Serbia. There is my contact number:
DeleteDejana: +96872500672
Miljan: +96891270035
Thank you in advance!
What of Ugandans in Oman? No one is caring about us 😭😭😭😭
ReplyDeleteWhat of Ugandans in Oman,? No one is caring about us
ReplyDeleteIn the Ex-YU we love Ugandans! Lots of great memories since the days of the non-aligned movement. It was great to host the speaker of the Uganda delegation [and speaker of the parliament] in Belgrade in late October last year.
DeleteWhen will oman opens flights from muscat to karachi Pakistan
ReplyDeletePlease let us know 🙏
DeleteWhen will Oman air fly to Nigeria???
ReplyDeleteOman to Lucknow india
ReplyDeleteWhen will open Oman to Lucknow
ReplyDeleteWhen will open Oman to Lucknow
ReplyDeleteWhy is Oman 🇴🇲 to Kenya 🇰🇪flight not open yet
ReplyDeleteRegular visitor here in Milan with A330/B787.
ReplyDeleteWhen Muscat to Kolkata
ReplyDeletePlease inform
Contact Whatsapp +96893358530
DeleteWhat about Nigerians? Please someone should say something about us in Oman
ReplyDeleteWhen Muscat to Pakistan please reply
ReplyDeleteSir, when open the flight from Oman to Kolkata.
ReplyDeleteContact Whatsapp +96893358530
DeleteHope also maids are recognized in this lockdown because same of them are suffering are they would love to go back to their countries and same of them their contracts are finished and some of them are being forced to sign another contract all due to lock down. So i would suggest at least let those who don't belong in this country only allowed to go back home and allow those omani in other countries to also come back
ReplyDeleteI request you to please tell me when will oman opens flights from muscat to karachi Pakistan
ReplyDelete