Muscat: Travellers from Oman now have a range of destinations in India to choose from as airlines publish their network of operational destinations. The air bubble agreement established between Oman and India have enabled the carriers from both the countries to fly to certain destinations. Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority had announced recently that it has been agreed to fly 10,000 passengers per week between Oman and India.
Omani carriers Oman Air and SalamAir as well as Indian carriers Air India Express and IndiGo have announced flights connecting Oman and Indian destinations.
Oman Air announced it will operate two flights a week to connect Muscat with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.
SalamAir, meanwhile, will operate passenger flights twice a week to the Indian cities of Calicut, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram, until the end of November.
Air India Express’ Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights are also operated to various Indian cities under the air bubble agreement. The Schedule lists flights between Muscat and Indian cities of Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kannur Kochi, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Tiruchirapally. VBM also operates flights from Salalah to Calicut, Kannur, Kochi and Trivandrum.
Another Indian low-cost carrier, IndiGo, has announced flights between Oman and India under the air bubble agreement. The IndiGo flights will connect Muscat to India’s Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kochi.
Omani nationals as well as resident cardholders can be carried from India and all travellers have to undergo a mandatory PCR test on arrival in Oman. Additionally, arriving passengers to Oman must also be insured to cover the cost of at least 30-days of COVID-19 treatment should the need arise. The governing rules further state that symptomatic passengers will be taken to designated clinics and everyone else must abide by the quarantine rules prescribed.
For flights from Oman to India, the carriers can only carry Indian nationals stranded in Oman, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders holding Omani passport and, Omani nationals including diplomats, who hold visas issued by Indian mission in any category covered under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines issued on June 30 this year and which has been amended since then from time to time.