Overlooked Oman Air Aligns with Global Giants – the CEO Tells Us What’s Next

Not every Gulf airline wants to be Emirates. Oman Air just joined the powerful oneworld alliance, and with a new leadership team, it’s betting on strategy over swagger.

Think of Middle Eastern carriers, and two or three big names likely spring to mind. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad have rewritten the international flight map, channeling millions of passengers through their respective hub airports every week.

The trio – often known as “The Big Three” – have garnered global brand recognition with sports sponsorships and Hollywood star endorsements. But there is another tier of Middle Eastern airline that flies the flag without quite so much fuss. Think Royal Jordanian, Bahrain’s Gulf Air, and Saudia.

Another prime candidate for that list is Oman Air. CEO Con Korfiatis, who joined last May, acknowledged the airline is “not as globally known as many others,” but the goal is to change that in a meaningful way.

Central to the plan is the oneworld alliance, which Oman Air officially joined on June 30.

“This is quite a significant day for us commercially,” said Korfiatis. “We're on a path to transform the airline behind the scenes from being a legacy airline into one run a little bit more on business fundamentals.”

Compared to its new oneworld peers – which include enormous companies such as American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific – Oman Air is a relative minnow.

It currently serves 42 destinations and operates 33 aircraft – most of which are smaller narrowbody planes. However, oneworld membership instantly connects it to 900 destinations globally, with expanded codesharing across the alliance’s network. “It's kind of a monumental step for our airline, especially for our size,” said Korfiatis.

Industry veteran Mike Rutter also joined Oman Air in May 2024 as part of a shake-up of the company’s senior leadership team. The chief commercial officer was candid in his assessment of the rate of change within the ai