Al Sharqiya Aviation, a subsidiary of the Omani petroleum, mining, and engineering conglomerate Mohammed al Barwani Group, has signed a contract with South Africa’s MCC Aviation (Johannesburg Lanseria) to lease two Eurocopter SA330 (H125 variant) helicopters, the Times of Oman has revealed.
Wafid Jaffar, chief executive of Al Sharqiya Aviation, said that the agreement was signed on July 17 and that “we are in the final stages of obtaining the necessary certificates” from Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA). Operations will start, he said, with two H125s with seating for five passengers and a pilot.
“These first helicopters will be operated on a lease basis, and [Al Sharqiya Aviation] will look to purchase its own helicopters in line with business growth. At this time we are in talks with various tour operators, hotels and airlines to cater to their guests.”
He added that to develop the company's brand and connect with the general public, a website and marketing tools would be deployed soon.
Al Sharqiya Aviation was established to fill a niche in the Sultanate's tourism market, Jaffar said, with city tours, transport services, and transfers to be added in the future, together with helicopter charters for local companies. A start-up awarded a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the PACA in July 2016, the company modified its business model in November 2017 with the aim of introducing Oman's first commercial helicopter services.
