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FROM THE TOP |
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Ziad Bin Karim
Al Haremi
Chief Executive |
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Oman Air Chief Executive
Officer, Ziad Bin Karim Al Haremi talks to Oman
Vistas of plans for the airline post Oman’s withdrawal
from Gulf Air
EXCERPTS:
With the Sultanate of Oman
withdrawing its stake from Gulf Air, do you see
more opportunities for Oman Air?
Oman Air has always been expanding, slowly but surely.
With the sultanate’s withdrawal from Gulf Air, the
opportunity to expand our operations increases dramatically.
As the national carrier, we are entrusted to link
Oman with the world covering not only those destinations
Gulf Air used to operate to and from Oman but to
add additional destinations - and in doing so, turning
Oman into a major hub in the area.
What are the reasons for
Oman Air constituting a new board of Directors.
Tell us something about this.
The constitution of a new board of directors comes
as a natural consequence to the change of ownership
shareholding in the company. The government of Oman
owns over 82 percent of the shares. The new board
is made up of six government officials and one private
sector member. All board members are directly related
to our business.
Is re-branding a priority
area for Oman Air? What is the main objective? Is
the current branding strategy not adequate?
With our new role, a new image is a must. We are
now the transporters of Oman’s tourism drive. Our
colours and the message that it will portray must
reflect the warmth and hospitality of the country
and its people. The new brand will be designed in
a way that markets the Sultanate of Oman.
What is the percentage of
Omani Pilots flying Oman Air aircrafts? How do you
train them?
Sixty four percent of pilots flying Oman Air are
Omanis. At the moment, our total pilot strength
is at 116, of which 79 are Omanis and 37 are expatriates.
Of the cabin crew, we have 146 Omanis and 114 expatriates.
Ground operations have 209 Omanis and 145 expatriates.
Pilots return from the UK with a CPL license after
a year and a half of training and then begin their
ground school training. Over a one-month period
they attend various courses including jet orientation,
safety and emergency procedures, security training,
first aid training and crew resource management
training. The pilots attend ten simulator sessions.
Each of the simulator sessions is divided into a
three-hour theory and four-hour practical part.
Following simulator sessions, the pilots are issued
their Omani license.
They have to complete 370 flying hours with a minimum
of 100 sectors under the supervision of a qualified
training captain. After completion of the above
requirements, the pilot is released to the line
as a first officer. The entire process takes two
and a half years.
Taking into consideration the expansion plans in
the near future, we encourage the Omani youth to
look into this career opportunity and apply to Oman
Air.
Currently which are the most
profitable sectors for Oman Air?
The Republic of India, is the traditional ‘bread
and butter’ of all GCC carriers. This is likely
to remain unchanged given the huge demand and fairly
limited supply. No carrier can state that they have
enough seats to India. It is indeed an important
destination for Oman Air and one of its most profitable
sectors. With India's growing prominence in economy
and immense potential in areas like health, education,
tourism and information technology, there is scope
for higher passenger traffic between the country
and the Gulf region. The growth of India’s economy
is well documented and the double-digit explosion
has created a middle class population that is currently
estimated at 400 million people. For airlines, that
means 400 million people with disposable income
that may well decide to spend their surplus money
on travel.
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