Oman Air Cargo has apppointed Swissport as its new ground handler at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) in the Netherlands and completed its first flight to the country.
The Muscat-based airline completed its first flight between Muscat (MCT) and AMS on 1 July. The 787-9, with a cargo capacity of 14 to 18 metric tonnes, was carrying temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals, engineering parts, and courier and express cargo.
Oman will operate a 787-9 between MCT and AMS four times a week as part of ongoing plans to expand routes to Europe. At AMS, Oman will operate out of Swissport’s 20,000 sq m, CEIV-certified facility at Terminal 11.
“Europe is an important market for us in terms of revenue and as a key hub in the region, Amsterdam is an ideal addition to our expanding network,” said Claudius Pereira, senior manager – cargo commercial operations, Oman Air.
“Swissport’s commitment to delivering high-quality services makes them a natural partner for us at Schiphol and we are looking forward to working with Swissport to deliver an exceptional service for our clients.”
Jeroen Giling, head of cargo, the Netherlands, Swissport, said: “We are looking forward to the future whereby our teams will work together to make this new cargo operation between Muscat and Amsterdam an absolute success.”
Oman Air head of cargo Mike Duggan recently said the airline was considering widebody freighter capacity options, although it recently sold its sole Boeing 737-800 freighter with 24 tonnes of capacity as part of plans to move from an insourced freighter model to an outsourced model.