Oman Air Sheds 1,000 Jobs in Sweeping Downsizing Effort

‍DALLAS – Oman Air (WY) has cut almost a quarter of its workforce in an attempt to restructure the airline.

In a move aimed at improving efficiency and financial sustainability, WY has reduced its staff headcount. Oman’s national airline previously employed around 4,300 workers. This is considered excessive when compared to an industry benchmark of around 2,700 for airlines with similar fleet sizes. WY has a fleet of 32 aircraft, comprising various Boeing 737 and 787 variants.

The Muscat Airport (MCT)-based airline has cut 1,000 jobs. Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Oman Air and Oman Airports, said this was necessary to align WY’s staff headcount with industry standards. 

Oman Air Downsizes Staff Numbers

Before this restructuring, around 45% of WY’s workforce consisted of non-core employees, acccording to Gulf News. This figure is significantly higher than regional averages.

Of the 1,000 employees whose jobs were cut, 500 positions were held by overseas workers. Of the total figure, over 400 were Omani nationals.

The reduction in staff numbers also included a voluntary retirement program, which has been accepted by 310 of the airline’s employees. In addition, some WY employees were offered alternative positions, with the same salaries but with reduced benefits. 

Oman Air anticipates that having a rightsized staff complement will enable it to achieve financial stability while operating efficiently.

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