Oman Air launches ‘Cargolift’ flights to India to ferry medical aid

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has activated an emergency cargolift initiative to help ferry critical medical aid to India. The ‘Covid cargolifts’ will be rolled out on routes to India for the next 15 days, in cooperation with Oman’s foreign ministry and the Indian community in Oman, and will guarantee 10 tonnes of free cargo space on several Indian routes to assist humanitarian organizations and agencies in the transport of essential medical equipment and supplies.

Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Oman Air chief executive officer, said that the humanitarian cargolift underscores the airline’s commitment to India and will facilitate the transport of up to 10 tons of emergency cargo, at no cost, during a time of exceptional difficulty in India. “Oman Air will continue to do its part, as it has throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, to transport essential medical supplies and emergency relief to those in need. India continues to battle the pandemic with tremendous courage and unity, and Oman Air stands ready to assist humanitarian organizations and agencies in the transport of critical medical aid from Muscat to city hubs across India. Oman and India have an exceptional, long-standing relationship and the deep ties that connect both countries are vitally important during times of crisis. We stand with India at this difficult time and we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground and assist accordingly.”

Mohammed Al Musafir, senior vice president of commercial cargo, Oman Air confirmed the airline’s initiative and stated that Oman Air cargo charges on flights to India would be waived for a period of 15 days (with certain conditions) for all Covid-19 aid to the country: “Our cargo team is working around the clock to ensure that adequate space is available on Oman Air flights to India so that essential aid personnel and agencies receive critical medical supplies and humanitarian assistance. Although the airline will essentially waive cargo charges on all Covid-19 aid to India for the next 15 days, shippers are still responsible for any applicable government or customs charges, either at the point of origin or destination country.”

Since the onset of the global pandemic, Oman Air has frequently operated special repatriation and cargo-only flights between several destinations on its network, reuniting friends and families while transporting essential goods and medical supplies. To this day, the airline remains committed to providing additional assistance, as needed, and continues to work closely with Oman’s Ministry of Health, Oman’s foreign ministry, as well as various local communities to further develop and implement assistance initiatives as the pandemic persists.