Muscat: Oman Air has announced the suspension of all international flights starting March 29 at 12pm.
The country's flagship carrier said all passenger services to and from Muscat would be paused indefinitely from noon on Sunday while domestic flights to and from Musandam Governorate and cargo operations will operate as normal.
“We regret the difficulty and inconvenience this may cause, but it’s vital for us as the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman to assist in the country’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19,” said airline chief executive Abdulaziz Al Raisi.
“We will prioritise the needs of our guests and employees as we continue to assess the evolving situation.
“This is an unprecedented time for our industry, but I am confident we will emerge stronger from this crisis as we had successfully done so in the past,” he added.
The move follows a travel ban on all non-Omani nationals although foreign nationals can leave Oman, but will not be able to return.
The airline also announced that it has waived change fees for all flights booked between March 6 to May 31, although additional fare differences for new flights will apply, and it has not yet announced an extension of this to earlier bookings.
Additionally, passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to a full refund.