Oman said on Thursday announced the resumption of international flights from Oct. 1 while taking utmost precautionary measures in order to protect the country and aviation staff from the coronavirus, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement. Meanwhile, the state news agency ONA said that domestic flights between the capital Muscat and the city of Salalah will also resume on the same date. Residents with valid visas do not need approval from the Foreign Ministry to return to Oman, a top official said. The move comes after more than six months of COVID-19 precautionary measures as thousands of expatriate residents have been stranded abroad since the suspension of international flights in March. Expatriates who hold valid residency permits can return to the Sultanate from Oct. 1 without the need to get approval from the ministry, according to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ali Al Harthi, the undersecretary of the Sultanate's foreign ministry a member of the supreme committee for combating coronavirus. Meanwhile, Oman Air in a press release said that it is committed to implementing comprehensive and intensive safety measures before, during, and after all its flights to ensure a safe and reassuring travel experience for its guests. The national carrier also called on its guests departing from Muscat to review all travel requirements and the latest information related to their destinations before traveling, as well as the latest measures taken by Oman airports on travel through the Sultanate's airports. — Agencies
