Sri Lanka part of larger Oman Air Asian strategy: official

Feb 27, 2010 (LBO) - Oman Air's new service to Sri Lanka and the Maldives is the first of a series of new routes to South Asia and part of the Middle Eastern carrier's strategy to become a bigger player in the Asian air travel market, a top official said. Oman Air four operates weekly frequencies to Colombo on Airbus A330-300 series wide bodied aircraft in economy and business class configurations.

"Into Sri Lanka Oman Air has a two class product, normally it’s a three class product," Hill said.

Currently Oman Air fleet consists of 15 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts, two A330-200 aircrafts and two A330-300 aircrafts.

In 2010 and 2011 three A330-300 series aircraft are to be delivered.

Oman Air has ordered five Embraer 175 aircraft with purchasing rights for additional five and seven Boeing 787 aircraft to be delivered in 2014, the airline said.

Hill said they don’t want to grow too fast.

"Oman Air is a commercial airline, sure we got some money from the government but we paid it back," Hill said.

"I'm no stranger to paying back loans and getting into profitability."

Hill headed SriLankan airlines after Emirates took management control in 1998 with a 40 percent equity stake.

Under him the airline re-flee