The agreement was signed at a ceremony which immediately followed the arrival in Muscat on Tuesday 16th April of the first Cargolux flight to operate under the agreement. The ceremony was held onboard the carrier’s B747 Full Freighter which was located in front of Muscat International Airport’s VIP building. The Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, Paul Gregorowitsch, and the Chief Executive Officer of Cargolux Airlines International, Dirk Reich, were joined by a range of guests, including dignitaries, stakeholders and media representatives. VIPs included His Excellency Darwish bin Ismail bin Ali Al Balushi, Oman’s Minister responsible for Finance and Chairman of Oman Air, His Excellency François Bausch, Luxembourg’s Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Mr Paul Helminger, Chairman of Cargolux Airlines International, and Dr Juma bin Ali Al-Juma, Chairman of Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC).

The Joint Venture will enable Oman Air and Cargolux to jointly access new freighter destinations and contribute to the development of Oman’s logistics hub. In addition, it enables Oman Air to further expand its cargo operation and build on the range of cargo initiatives and innovations the airline has introduced over recent years. Furthermore, the agreement will provide Cargolux with access to the belly capacity of Oman Air’s fleet and create new opportunities for freight transportation from Oman’s modern port facilities. It is also anticipated that the Joint Venture will deliver significant benefits for the economy of the Sultanate of Oman.

Following the signing ceremony, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Gregorowitsch, said:

“We are delighted to have entered into this Joint Venture agreement with Cargolux Airlines International. This will be the first full freighter service to have been launched from Oman and it will enable us to jointly deploy significant and commercially attractive freighter capacity throughout Oman Air’s network. In doing so, it will provide significant support for the expansion and development of Oman Air’s cargo operation. It will also enable Cargolux to make use of Oman Air’s rapidly expanding freight capacity, as well as the outstanding cargo facilities at Oman’s airports.

“Our product advantages include the carriage of project cargo, livestock, cargo aircraft-only freight, odd size cargo, vehicles and aircraft engines. Oman Air has considerable experience of safely shipping such freight to locations around the world.

“And, vitally, this Joint Venture will bring significant economic benefits for the Sultanate of Oman, building on Oman Air’s already considerable social and financial contribution to the nation.”

The Chief Executive of Cargolux Airlines International SA, Dirk Reich, added:

“We believe that this new Joint Venture with Oman Air will bring important benefits for Cargolux’s customers in Oman, including fast and reliable connections across Oman Air’s worldwide network. It will also enable us to proceed with our planned expansion of air freight services in 2015 from Oman to China, Europe, Africa and the United States. Furthermore, the Joint Venture will give Cargolux the opportunity to utilize Oman Air’s experience of flying to 11 destinations in India, as well as to East Africa.”