Trip Report: Flying Oman Air’s Latest Dreamliner to Muscat

PARIS — On July 1, Oman Air (WY) officially joined the oneworld alliance. On the same day, WY launched its first-ever connection to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), further consolidating its European network. 

A few days before, I flew to Muscat International Airport (MCT) from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to join the airline for its inaugural event to Amsterdam (AMS).

Bonjour, Paris

I arrived at CDG from Lyon (LYS) on board Air France’s A321. This would be my first time flying in and out of Paris’ busiest airport; I read about the terminals, connections, and facilities to make the most of my four-hour layover here in France.

Oman Air operates from Terminal 1, where its check-in desks are located. There was no queue at all in either the business class or the economy class lanes. Here, I received my boarding pass and lounge invitation. Oman Air operates flights WY131/132 four times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The inbound flight, WY132, is scheduled at 9:20 pm Paris time, landing in Muscat seven hours later.

I proceeded to the passport and security controls, which took quite some time due to some scanners being out of order. At the security controls, I sadly noticed that the ground personnel were opening suitcases without asking passengers, which resulted in my suitcase going missing for a while as it was being rechecked. 

I then found it again in the metal detector queue. This struck me as I had never experienced such unprofessional behaviour from airport staff. Usually, luggage inspection is carried out in the passenger's presence, with their consent to inspect their belongings. However, I was not going to let it ruin my day.

I then headed to the lounge. Like many airlines operating out of Terminal 1 in CDG, Oman Air uses the Extime lounge here. The area is modern, clean, and with great views of the apron. There is an extensive selection of dining and drinking options, as well as plenty of seating space facing the northern runways. The lounge was not busy at all during my visit, and it was easy to find a comfortable place to relax. After a quick bite, it was time to head to the gate.

On Board

Our aircraft for this flight is A4O-SJ, a brand new Boeing 787-9 that started commercial service just eleven days before my flight. The aircraft is configured with WY’s two-class layout, with 30 seats in business class. Oman Air is one of the few airlines worldwide to feature the Apex Suites in its business class. 

Despite featuring a 2-2-2 layout, all seats feature direct aisle access and exceptional legroom. As a result, the front section of the cabin features only 24 seats, with six more located behind door 2. The configuration is one of the least dense and most premium in the world, with only Gulf Air (GF), Korean Air (KE), and Japan Airlines (JL) installing these luxurious seats on their fleets.

Since this is a brand-new aircraft, the cabin was as spotless as it gets. The large touchscreen IFE can be controlled with a separate remote, a useful touch given the immense legroom. The seat controls are housed in the armrest, which can be an issue; however, I never had any problems accidentally hitting them. 

Under the ottoman, a large backpack can be easily stored. Two storage shelves are found between the safety card holder and the ottoman, housing the bottle of water. The large tray table, located in the central console, swivels, allowing you to remain seated while dining or working.  

I pre-selected seat 14D, an aisle seat located at the front of the cabin. I chose this particular seat due to the increased privacy and the fact that the neighboring seats were empty. At my seat, I found a bedding kit comprising a mattress, blanket, and pillow, as well as a bottle of water and noise-cancelling headphones. 

After a welcome drink and the traditional Omani coffee serving, the Amouage amenity kit was handed out, together with the menu for tonight’s flight.

In-flight

We took off from runway 09R and reached our initial cruise level of 37,000 ft. The flight time would be 6 hours and 21 minutes, taking us above France, Germany, Austria, and up to Turkey and Iraq, a few days after the reopening of Iraqi airspace. As this is a new aircraft, Wi-Fi was not yet available, allowing me, for once, to disconnect from what was going on the ground.

I quickly checked out the IFE selection before dinner. The titles were updated since my last flight with WY in September 2024; however, the graphical interface could be upgraded. On this matter, Oman Air’s CEO confirmed that the airline is evaluating connectivity and IFE options for their next Dreamliners.

Dinner service started soon with a hot towel and a second welcome drink. Since we were just leaving France behind us, I opted for a glass of French Bordeaux, one of my favourite wines. I chose the Arabic mezze as an appetizer and lamb as my main course, my go-to choice when traveling with Oman Air. 

The meal quality was once again superb, and portions were more than abundant. And I almost struggled to finish my meal. The cabin crew was kind and professional throughout the whole service, engaging in conversations with many guests in the cabin.

After dinner, I asked the cabin crew for a pijama and made my bed, ready for some much-needed rest. I got changed in one of the three business class dedicated lavatories, which are stocked with even more amenities such as dental kits and face mists. 

I fell asleep in no time and woke up well-rested, as we had already entered Omani airspace. I opted to skip breakfast to maximise my sleep, which, given the day ahead, turned out to be a wise decision. I changed back into my clothes and jealously stored the pyjamas in my suitcase, which I am using to this date.

Landing, Conclusions

Muscat is Oman Air’s hub and one of the best airports in the region, boasting a high punctuality record and excellent airport amenities—according to Cirium, WY’s on-time performance ranks amongst the highest in the region. 

As we landed in Muscat, I prepared for a rather busy 24 hours, attending the global media conference from WY’s headquarters and joining the inaugural flight to AMS the day after, on board the same aircraft that had just flown us to Muscat from Paris.