Oman Air considering first U.S. flights

Another Middle Eastern carrier wants to fly to the U.S., with Oman Air aiming to study service as soon as next year.

According to Business Insider, Oman Aviation Group CEO Mustafa Al Hinai said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week that the airline plans to begin studying offering nonstop flights to the U.S. by late 2021 or early 2022.

Oman Air plans to primarily focus travelers heading to its namesake country as a destination, and only secondarily in using its Muscat International Airport (MCT) hub as a connecting point to the region, Al Hinai said.

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Gulf competitors Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways all focus on the connecting model, funneling large volumes of passengers through their respective Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Doha (DOH) hubs.

Al Hinai did not say where Oman Air could fly in the U.S. However, New York -- as the largest international gateway in the U.S. -- is likely high on the list.

Oman Air's only U.S. access is via a codeshare with Air Italy that is due to begin in February, according to Cirium schedules. The airline will place its code on the Italian carrier's flights to Miami (MIA) and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) via Milan Malpensa (MXP).

The Omani carrier was certified to fly to the U.S. by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2019.

Oman Air operates a wide-body fleet of Airbus A330-200 and -300, and Boeing 787-8 and -9 aircraft, according to its website.

Related: Oman Air 787-9 Business Class From Paris to Muscat

Clarification: Oman Air says its comments to Business Insider were misunderstood to mean that the carrier was planning flights to the U.S. However, a spokesman for the airline says the flights are only being studied. This post has been updated to reflect that.