Oman Air Continues To Bring Home Stranded Passengers
Date: 2 December 2008
Following advice from the Thai authorities in the wake of social unrest in Thailand, Oman Air has suspended flight operations to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. Meanwhile to enable the stranded passengers of Oman Air to reach home safely, Oman Air operated flights from the U-Tapao airport in Thailand.
The first flight from U-Tapao flew 196 stranded passengers from Thailand. The second flight (30th November) and the subsequent flight on the 1st of December also carried the same number of passengers, bringing the total number of stranded passengers carried by Oman Air back to the safety of home to over 600.
Commenting on the relief flights operated from the U-Tapao airport, a senior official of Oman Air said: "Utapao airport has been challenging as the infrastructure is not designed to cope with large international passenger airline movements. The Thai authorities and airport staff have been very helpful and we request patience from passengers during lengthy boarding procedures. All stranded Omani nationals that had contacted us have been transported safely back to the Sultanate," he conformed.
Oman Air will operate a fourth flight to Utapao airport on Thursday 4th December to pick up returning passengers but is not accepting any inbound passengers to Thailand from Muscat at this point in time.
Oman Air flights although on a limited frequency, are designed to assist all Oman Air passengers who are holding return tickets so they can return to Oman or complete their return journeys to other cities.
"For passengers who have travelled on other airlines we are accepting registrations in our Bangkok reservations office and should space become available they will be ticketed at the Thai Bhat one way market price," the Oman Air official said.
Oman Air is closely monitoring the situation in Bangkok and is in constant contact with airport authorities in Bangkok to resume flights to Suvarnabhumi International Airport as soon as possible. U-Tapao International Airport is a public airport approximately 140 km southeast of Bangkok.
For further information please contact the 24 hour Oman Air Contact Centre on (968) 2453 1111 or Oman Air Bangkok Town office on (0066)26351222.