Royal-Omani-is-the-flag-carrier-of-Oman. It-was-created-by-the-Sultan-in-1964-with-the-ostensible-goal-of-allowing-Omanis-to-make-connections-to-the-wider-world. Early-operations-featured-a-selection-of-DC-3s-up-to-DC-6s. In-1967,-the-airline-acquired-twin-DC-8s-from-Simmons-which-could-easily-make-nonstop-flights-from-Muscat-to-European-capitals-or-even-further-afield. This-relegated-the-DC-3s-to-hopper-services-between-Muscat-and-numerous-smaller-airports-across-Oman,-Yemen,-Saudi-Arabia,-and-the-Trucial-States. This-spending-spree-previewed-a-pattern-which-would-pervade-Royal-Omani-for-much-of-its-history. Long-periods-of-stagnation-punctuated-by-infrequent-cash-injections.
The-next-cash-injection-occurred-when-Oman’s-new-Sultan,-looking-to-improve-his-image,-wished-to-inaugurate-nonstop-flights-from-Muscat-to-exotic,-prestigious-locales-like-New-York-City. This-necessitated-the-purchase-of-used-long-haul-widebody-aircraft. In-1982,-Royal-Omani-acquired-a-used-747SP-from-African. The-next-year,-an-advanced-Lockheed-L1011-Tristar-joined-the-fleet-courtesy-of-Dragonair.
In-1987,-the-Sultan-embarked-on-a-series-of-trips-to-countries-with-which-Oman-had-few-or-no-previous-international-relations. One-such-nation-was-Brazil. The-Sultan-enjoyed-the-weather-as-well-as-the-culture-of-Brazil-during-his-visit. Brazil’s-president,-hoping-to-offload-some-foreign-debt,-gave-the-Sultan-the-hard-sell-on-his-nation’s-mechanical-crown-jewel. The-EMB-120-Brasilia-was-a-turboprop-built-to-handle-rough,-extreme-conditions. Thus,-it-made-for-a-perfect-replacement-to-Royal-Omani’s-fleet-of-frankly-decrepit-DC-3s,-which,-due-to-their-advanced-age,-now-spent-more-time-as-expensive-paperweights-than-modes-of-transportation. The-Sultan-bit-on-the-offer-and-by-1989-Royal-Omani-added-a-pair-of-the-new-type-to-their-fleet. They-would-be-the-first-aircraft-acquired-by-the-carrier-brand-new. These-would-also-be-the-first-aircraft-to-feature-what-the-Sultan-would-describe-as-“a-new-livery-for-a-new-era-in-Omani-transportation.”-The-livery-featured-modern-design-trends-including-a-geometrically-stylized-iteration-of-the-airline’s-traditional-crown-logo-and-brightened-colour-palette. The-aircraft-were-registered-A4O-BA-and-A4O-BB-respectively-and-were-named-after-some-of-the-smaller-Omani-cities-they-served.
Revamped-smaller-regional-services-commenced-with-an-emphasis-on-using-the-Brasilias-to-build-more-frequent-service-to-airstrips-across-Oman. However,-the-Sultan-was-not-done-spending-quite-yet. The-DC-8s-used-on-Royal-Omani’s-mid-length-hops-like-the-route-to-Dubai-were-rather-long-in-the-tooth-and-subject-to-ridicule,-particularly-given-the-increasingly-glamorous-images-of-national-carriers-hailing-from-other-Arab-kingdoms. The-Sultan-was-not-persuaded-by-supporters-of-an-all-new-narrowbody-jet-fleet. Instead,-Royal-Omani-sought-to-acquire-used-aircraft-that-would-appear-more-modern. In-1993,-airline-management-struck-gold. The-A320-200-was-the-modern-flagship-of-many-airline’s-operations. New-A320-200s-were-expensive-and-the-used-market-for-the-type-featured-high-demand-and-low-supply. However,-the-A320-100-–-the-less-successful-original-variant-of-the-type-–-was-not-nearly-as-much-of-a-hot-commodity. Airlines-operating-the-A320-100-were-interested-in-replacing-these-craft-with-A320-200s-which-were-better-in-every-way. But-Royal-Omani-didn’t-need-the-extra-range-or-fuel-efficiency. A320-100s-were-still-relatively-modern. The-carrier-struck-a-deal-to-acquire-two-early-A320-100s-operated-by-British-Atlantic-in-late-1993. One-of-the-DC-8s-remained-in-service-after-this-date-to-cover-certain-charter-and-peak-flights-like-those-to-Mecca,-but-the-other-was-unceremoniously-dumped-onto-the-used-market.
Shortly-after-this-time,-the-Sultan-lost-interest-in-the-nation’s-airline. With-lost-interest-came-an-end-to-abundant-financial-support-from-the-government. Royal-Omani-had-always-been-an-entity-more-concerned-with-satisfying-government-fancies-than-generating-profit. Thus,-the-airline-struggled-mightily-with-its-finances. Its-maintenance-budget-was-slashed. No-services-were-terminated-but-frequencies-were-cut,-and-aircraft-condition-suffered-critically. International-watchdogs-rang-the-alarm-as-Royal-Omani’s-fleet-appeared-increasingly-derelict. History-would-prove-that-they-were-not-crying-wolf.
In-1998,-on-a-sweltering-June-day,-Royal-Omani’s-second-Embraer-Brasilia,-registered-A4O-BB,-departed-Khasab-Airport-on-a-return-hop-from-Muscat-as-SULTAN-341. This-was-the-airframe’s-fourth-flight-of-the-day. At-1123,-the-aircraft,-which-had-been-idling-on-the-black-asphalt-for-nearly-half-an-hour-waiting-for-a-late-passenger,-began-its-take-off-roll. For-the-proceeding-week,-crews-had-complained-that-the-flight-controls-on-A4O-BB-were-stiff-and-sometimes-unresponsive. SULTAN-341-lifted-off-without-incident,-but-problems-arose-when-Pilot-Gawas-attempted-to-lessen-the-aircraft’s-angle-of-ascent. Gawas’-input-yielded-no-response. Gawas-asked-the-first-officer-to-assist-in-attempting-to-decrease-the-aircraft’s-angle-of-attack. However,-the-controls-remained-unresponsive. Gawas-began-rocking-the-control-column-forwards-and-backwards-trying-to-“unstick”-it. His-inputs-became-increasingly-severe-until-he-was-successful-in-unsticking-the-elevator-…-into-a-steep-dive. The-Brasilia-hurtled-towards-the-ground-and-neither-pilot-nor-co-pilot-could-unstick-the-elevators-before-it-was-too-late. All-27-people-on-board-perished-in-the-impact-and-ensuing-fire. Less-than-120-seconds-after-take-off,-disaster-had-struck.
The-investigation-into-the-SULTAN-341’s-crash-revealed-that-both-flight-crew-and-maintenance-were-to-blame-in-the-incident. The-investigation-quickly-revealed-that-maintenance-standards-and-practices-at-Royal-Omani-were-woefully-inadequate. The-cause-of-the-control-surface-stickiness-which-would-most-directly-cause-the-crash-was-old-hydraulic-fluid. Hydraulic-fluid-pumps-in-the-tail-section-of-the-Brasilia-were-clogged-with-detritus. Maintenance-records-do-not-document-any-attempt-between-1989-and-1998-to-change-the-hydraulic-fluid-or-fluid-filters-in-the-aircraft. With-this-level-of-neglect,-investigators-noted-it-was-only-a-matter-of-time-before-something-went-wrong. The-extreme-heat-and-aircraft’s-delay-on-the-ground-had-contributed-to-the-accident-by-softening-deposits-of-detritus-in-the-hydraulic-system-which-further-contributed-to-the-clogging. The-investigators-also-acknowledged-that-the-flight-crew’s-conduct-contributed-to-the-accident. Flight-manuals-did-not-explicitly-cover-a-situation-in-which-hydraulics-were-intermittently-functional-but-under-pressure-the-flight-crew-reacted-in-a-rather-manic,-unorganised-manner. Had-they-reacted-more-calmly-perhaps-the-incident-could-have-been-avoided.
The-report-was-released-in-2000-and-ushered-in-serious-scrutiny-by-international-regulators. Royal-Omani-was-quickly-banned-from-flying-to-many-of-its-European-destinations. The-Sultan-was-displeased. The-airline-endured-a-management-shakeup. However,-no-management-shakeup-could-belay-the-fact-that-Royal-Omani-had-a-relatively-old-fleet-of-aircraft-that-were-in-appalling-mechanical-condition. The-solution-was-another-spending-spree. In-what-would-become-the-largest-order-in-airline-history,-the-carrier-signed-a-deal-to-acquire-an-Airbus-A340-500-and-an-A320-200-brand-new.
The-A320-arrived-in-2001-and-allowed-for-the-retirement-of-the-carrier’s-DC-8-which-was-replaced-in-charter-and-supplementary-operations-by-one-of-the-carrier’s-older-A320-100s. In-2002,-to-much-pomp-and-circumstance,-Royal-Omani’s-new-flagship-touched-down-in-Muscat. The-A340-500-was-chosen-not-for-its-statistical-ability-but-rather-because-it-was-the-newest-aircraft-in-Airbus’s-portfolio. Despite-the-fact-that-the-345-was-designed-to-cover-extremely-long-distance-routes,-it-actually-debuted-on-the-London-route-and-also-operated-to-Paris-on-occasion. The-This-was-because-the-carrier’s-L1011-was-still-allowed-to-fly-to-New-York-and-the-airline’s-every-changing-host-of-Asian-destinations-but-was-banned-by-EU-regulators-concerned-with-the-airline’s-maintenance-procedures. The-747SP-was-laid-up-in-Muscat-and-remains-parked-on-the-edge-of-the-airport-to-this-day. In-2001,-the-airline-also-acquired-a-used-Lansing-Air-System-Brasilia-to-restore-full-regional-services. It-would-eventually-be-registered-as-A4O-BC.
In-2011,-the-Tristar-was-becoming-a-maintenance-nuisance. The-airline-successfully-petitioned-the-Sultan-for-funds-to-procure-an-aircraft-which-could-replace-the-aging-Lockheed. To-streamline-the-maintenance-and-thus-decrease-costs-without,-the-carrier-opted-to-search-for-another-A340. Transnacional-responded-to-the-call-with-an-A340-300-which-had-been-retired-a-few-years-earlier. The-aircraft,-eventually-registered-A4O-KK,-would-feature-a-new-livery. The-livery-updated-and-streamlined-the-stylized-crown-from-the-previous-brand-identity-in-addition-to-new-titles. The-new-livery-also-featured-a-pattern-on-the-tail-which,-while-expensive-to-paint,-was-justified-as-substantially-increasing-the-premium-appearance-of-the-brand. The-Tristar-remained-in-the-fleet-to-be-infrequently-used-as-a-supplement-when-the-A340s-required-maintenance. The-airline-claimed-that-the-fleet-would-be-quickly-repainted-in-the-new-livery. This-did-not-occur.
In-2016,-the-A320neo-finally-hit-the-market-and-led-to-an-influx-and-serious-devaluation-of-A320ceos-on-the-used-market. Royal-Omani-pounced-on-the-opportunity-to-acquire-a-recently-retired-Himmelbahn-A320-200. This-aircraft,-while-far-from-new,-would-supposedly-decrease-maintenance-costs-by-allowing-for-the-retirement-of-one-of-the-A320-100s. The-retired-A320-would-be-retained-for-spare-parts,-which-would-eventually-prove-to-be-useful-investment-as-the-new-newly-acquired-plane,-registered-as-A4O-FB,-would-require-a-new-emergency-exit-door-in-2017-when-it-was-hit-by-stray-gunfire-which-pierced-the-an-emergency-exit-window. It-was-in-2018-that-the-airline’s-other-A320-200,-registered-A4O-FC,-received-the-new-livery. Mechanics,-supposedly-of-their-own-volition,-chose-to-paint-a-mask-reminiscent-to-those-found-on-new-A320neos-on-the-aircraft-while-repainting-it. Political-opposition-alleges-that-the-paint-feature-was-not-an-accident-but-rather-a-cheap-attempt-to-make-the-airline-appear-more-modern-perpetrated-by-management-hucksters.
The-pandemic-hit-Royal-Omani-just-as-hard-as-many-other-carriers,-but-the-Sultan-pushed-the-airline-to-continue-operations. The-death-of-Oman’s-Sultan-was-a-national-tragedy-that-struck-the-nation-in-the-midst-of-Covid. It-also-left-Royal-Omani-with-an-unsure-future. Whilst-the-airline-was-nominally-profitable-before-covid,-without-passengers,-it-lost-money-hand-over-fist. Thankfully,-the-new-Sultan-remained-committed-to-the-carrier. To-show-his-commitment-to-continued-interest-in-Royal-Omani-and-celebrate-relaxing-pandemic-border-restrictions,-he-greenlit-the-acquisition-of-a-used-A340-300-from-Australian-carrier-Nullarbor. The-new-aircraft-would-allow-for-the-increasingly-long-maintenance-stints-the-aging-A340-500-required-and-a-slight-expansion-of-the-airline’s-long-distance-network. This-leaves-the-airline-with-current-long-haul-routes-to-New-York-JFK,-London-Heathrow,-Hong-Kong,-Mumbai,-and-Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi. The-Sultan’s-appetite-for-supporting-the-airline-abated-as-economic-conditions-in-Oman-refused-to-improve. The-agreement-to-purchase-the-A340-could-not-be-voided,-but-further-costs-like-repainting-the-aircraft-could-be-curbed. Thus,-the-repainting-process-which-would-remove-the-aircraft’s-previous-Australian-identity-was-cancelled-partway-through-leaving-A4O-KG-in-a-half-finished-state-which-was-quickly,-and-rather-sloppily,-completed-in-key-sections-of-the-aircraft. It-was-only-with-the-purchase-of-the-343-that-the-L1011-was-officially-retired.
Today,-Royal-Omani-continues-its-steady-march-into-the-future. The-fleet,-particularly-the-A4O-CK-which-has-been-subjected-to-a-few-too-many-harsh-sandstorms,-shows-signs-of-neglect. The-airline’s-financial-situation-is-difficult-to-determine,-but-hardly-seems-steady. Notwithstanding,-given-the-airline’s-rocky-past,-it-seems-more-likely-than-not-that-Royal-Omani-will-continue-to-ply-the-skies-for-many-years-to-come.
Amazing how I communicated all of that information in only 116 words!