Oman Air the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman has operated on the morning of Saturday 10 February 2007 the first air-charter services flight on behalf of its new customer OCCIDENTAL MUKHAIZNA.
Eng. Salim Al Kindy Divisional Manager Engineering and Maintenance in Oman Air said that Oman Air’s flight 3301 departed Seeb International Airport with 18 Occidental staff and one Oman Air staff at 0800 hrs. The flight to the newly constructed approved airstrip took approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. He added stating that Oman Air has signed a two year – subject to extension - agreement with OCCIDENTAL MUKHAIZNA for operating chartered services between Muscat and the oil firm’s concession area in the Al Wusta region using an ATR 42-500 plane. Oman Air will render charter services to Occidental, and transport the passengers and cargo between Seeb airport and the airports located within the Occidental’s concession areas.
Corporate communication and Media Department in Oman Air said, “Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, along with Liwa Energy, Mubadala’s wholly owned subsidiary (UAE), is the operator of the 105km2 Mukhaizna field. The Government of the Sultanate of Oman signed a new Production Sharing Agreement for the Mukhaizna Field in July 2005. Over $2bn will be invested by the parties in the development of the oilfield, to increase the production potential of the it from 10,000 bpd to 150,000 bpd by 2012. This will certainly buttress the economical, social growth in Sultanate and promote stability in general, in addition to developing and increasing the technical skills of Omani Manpower, in the sector of hydrocarbon industries.”
Al Kindy notified that Oman Air has also renewed its charter contract to upgrade the operation for PDO with a Boeing 737-700 plane from January 2008, which is to replace the present charter services using two ATR 42-500 aircraft for the oil company. The charter contract is for a five-year period – Subject to extension, and will be signed in the first quarter of 2007.
“Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has on 25 January 2004 officially opened a new-asphalted, illuminated runway that it has constructed at Fahud. The Fahud airport thus becomes the first in the interior of the Sultanate to have an asphalted runway that is moreover equipped with precision landing instruments. The runway has been deliberately designed in such way that it could later be overlaid to cater for Boeing 737 aircraft, with a simple overlay upgrade. PDO has made sure that the Fahud airport is well set to one-day serve as a hub airport from which flights can branch off to other destinations in the interior.” Corporate communication and Media Department, Oman Air concluded quoting.
