Oman Air (WY, Muscat) has signed a Letter of Intent with Cargolux (CV, Luxembourg) which will enable the freight specialist to use Oman Air's facilities in Muscat, Salalah and the recently inaugurated Sohar. It follows the Omani national carrier's earlier initiatives to expand its presence in the freight market through the launch of pan-GCC and pan-European trucking services, as well as a joint-venture with DHL for cargo service between Oman and Dubai.
The agreement, which provides for the launch of Cargolux flights from Luxembourg to India via Oman on April 15, will be formalized in Muscat on April 16.
Under the terms of the deal, Cargolux intends to increase the number of services it operates to Oman during 2015 to several flights per week, with onward connections to multiple Indian cities, including Chennai, Mumbai International, and Hyderabad International. Additional services to cities in India are being considered and connections to China, Europe, Africa and the United States are also planned.
In addition, Oman Air will provide Cargolux with access to the freight capacity of its passenger fleet, which flies to eleven destinations in India and three in Pakistan, as well as to destinations in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This will give the Luxembourg–based carrier the opportunity to feed consolidated freight to Oman from a number of larger markets.
"Oman's natural harbours, positioned at the entrance of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf, and its proximity to the sub-continent, provide a major advantage over its competitors in the region," Oman Air's Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch said. "Oman, therefore, has an excellent logistics chain for Cargolux to leverage and Oman Air is pleased and proud to be working with them to further expand the country's cargo sector."
