Oman Air has taken delivery of its first A330-200, enabling the carrier to introduce long haul flights for the first time. The aircraft was acquired under a lease agreement with Dublin-based AWAS.

Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, the A330 will be configured in an ultra high comfort two class layout with 20 Business and 196 Economy seats. The aircraft will initially be deployed on long-haul routes from Muscat, Oman to London, Paris and Frankfurt as well as destinations in Asia.

Oman Air placed an order for seven A330s in 2007, five of which were directly from Airbus. The airline will take delivery of a further 6 A330 family aircraft in the coming years.

"We are looking forward to introducing the A330 on our rapidly expanding network," said Peter Hill, CEO Oman Air. "Its outstanding economics and commonality with our existing fleet, will enable Oman Air to continue to expand our affordable and reliable services and further strengthen our market position."

"The A330 has unbeatable reliability, economic efficiency and is a great platform for Oman Air's continued expansion," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. "The delivery further strengthens confidence in the A330 and underscores the attractiveness of the aircraft within the financial community as a strong asset offering excellent returns on investment and high residual values."

With a true wide-body fuselage, the A330-200 is able to accommodate seat and class configurations to suit the diverse customer requirements. It has a range of up to 6,750 nm / 12,500 km with a full passenger load. It is optimized for the medium - to extended range market.  Airbus has won more than 1,000 orders for the aircraft and more than 600 A330s are in operation worldwide with over 80 operators. The combined fleet has achieved almost 14 million flight hours and serves around 300 destinations worldwide.

Source: Airbus