Summary
- Oman Air introduces Business Studio to replace First Class, offering a world-class experience.
- The revamped Business Class aims to cater to premium customers at more affordable rates without compromising on hospitality and service.
- Business Studio will debut on Boeing 787s on London and Bangkok routes.
Middle Eastern carrier – Oman Air has unveiled its plans to introduce a new Business Class product named “Business Studio” which will be replacing the carrier’s existing First Class product onboard its fleet in the near future. The carrier assures that the experience, if anything, will be world-class.
The Business Studio
Oman Air
today, introduced its new Business Class product, christened – Business Studio, which the airline states will be “Next Level” and will soon replace the airline’s existing First Class product. These new products will still retain the spacious layouts of the cabins and features such as lie-flat beds.
The carrier states that by replacing the First Class with these next-generation Business products, it will better cater to the needs of premium customers while making the fares more affordable. However, the product will still maintain the airline’s award-winning hospitality and services onboard, making the experience premium whether passengers are traveling for business or leisure.
Photo: Oman Air
The new cabin will be featured on the airline’s fleet of Boeing 787s and will be first featured on the airline’s services to London and Bangkok starting September 9th.
The airline’s CEO, Con Korfiatis, states:
“Inspired by valuable guest feedback and to adapt and evolve in line with global market trends, we have strategically refined our premium offering to deliver greater value and appeal. The traditional First Class experience has seen diminished demand, and after careful analysis and benchmarking against industry standards, we decided to retire the product. This decision allows us to focus on delivering an exceptional Business Class experience that better meets modern traveller expectations and is more closely aligned with the demographics targeted by the national tourism objectives, such as such as wellness, adventure and MICE. Moreover, we’re offering it all at a more competitive price point.”
Launching on Heathrow and Bangkok routes
The new Business Class products will be launched on Oman Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which the carrier utilizes on long-haul routes to destinations such as
London Heathrow Airport
(LHR) and
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
(BKK).
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
The carrier currently deploys its three-class configured 787-9s to LHR, which starting September 9th will not feature First Class, but the revamped Business Class. The two services to BKK, on the other hand, use the two class-configured Dreamliners; thus, the Business Studio will replace the existing Business Class on these aircraft. The existing cabin configurations of these aircraft are:
|
Class |
Capacity (3 Class) |
Capacity (2 Class) |
Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
|
First Class |
8 |
0 |
1-2-1 |
|
Business Class |
24 |
30 |
2-2-2* |
|
Economy Class |
232 |
258 |
3-3-3 |
*The staggered configuration and retractable partitions allow each seat complete privacy while also offering direct aisle access to all seats.
The carrier also has a small sub-fleet of two Boeing 787-8s, which does not currently feature a First Class, which means the carrier could potentially introduce the new Business Studios to the aircraft in the future.
Fleet expansion
The carrier operates a fleet of 44 aircraft, predominantly Boeing narrowbody and widebody aircraft, save for the 10 Airbus A330 jets. However, the airline, as of July 2024, does have more aircraft on order from Boeing.
Photo: Vladimir Zhupanenko | Shutterstock
|
Aircraft Type |
Current Fleet |
Variants |
Aircraft On Order |
Variants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Airbus A330* |
10 |
-200s / -300s |
0 |
|
|
Boeing 737 |
25 |
-800s / -900s / MAX 8s |
5 |
MAX 8s |
|
Boeing 787 |
9 |
-8s / -9s |
8 |
-9s |
|
Total Aircraft |
44 |
13 |
*The A330s are in the process of retirement, and Oman Air no longer operates the type. Some of these aircraft are currently on lease and operated by
Qatar Airways
.
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