Nasser Al Sharji Named Oman Air CEO as New Era Begins

MUSCAT — Oman Air has announced the appointment of Nasser Al Sharji as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 September 2026, placing an experienced Omani executive at the helm of the Sultanate’s national carrier as it enters an important new phase of transformation, international growth and support for Oman’s expanding tourism ambitions.

The appointment represents more than a change of leadership. It brings to Oman Air an executive whose career has crossed aviation, logistics, energy and government services, combining operational experience with a record of managing major organizations and transformation programs.

With more than 25 years of executive leadership, operational excellence and business transformation experience, Al Sharji has held senior positions at several of Oman’s most important organizations, including ASYAD Group, OQ and Nama Water Services. Across those roles, he has been involved in major national projects and organizational transformation initiatives.

His aviation credentials are particularly relevant to the task ahead. Most recently, Al Sharji served as Chief Executive Officer of Transom Handling and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Oman Airports Management Company, giving him direct exposure to the operational ecosystem surrounding airlines, airports, passengers and ground services.

He holds an Executive MBA and has also served as a board member and chairman of various committees across multiple sectors.

The breadth of that experience gives Al Sharji an unusually wide perspective as he assumes responsibility for a national airline whose role extends far beyond transporting passengers. Oman Air is an international ambassador for the Sultanate, a contributor to tourism and trade, a strategic link between Oman and major global markets, and often the first introduction an international visitor receives to Omani hospitality.

Commenting on the appointment, His Excellency Saeed Al Mawali, Chairman of Oman Air, highlighted Al Sharji’s leadership credentials and experience in transformation.

“Nasser brings extensive leadership experience, a strong understanding of the aviation sector and a proven track record of leading organizations through transformation and change,” Al Mawali said in the announcement.

“We are confident that, under his leadership, Oman Air will continue to build on the significant progress achieved in recent years and further strengthen its position as Oman’s national carrier.” For Al Sharji, the opportunity is substantial.

He inherits an airline that has already undergone significant restructuring and is increasingly focused on commercial discipline, operational efficiency, customer experience and ensuring that its network creates value not only for the airline but for Oman itself.

The challenge now will be to convert those gains into a sustainable long-term platform — while retaining the distinctive Omani identity that separates Oman Air from many larger competitors.

The leadership transition also recognises the contribution of outgoing Chief Executive Officer Con Korfiatis, who has led Oman Air since May 2024.

During his tenure, Oman Air pursued one of the most significant transformation programs in its history, with a stronger emphasis on financial sustainability, network optimization, efficiency and organizational effectiveness.

The results have become increasingly visible.

Oman Air reported carrying 5.8 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 8% from 2024 and 57% from 2022. Particularly significant for Oman’s wider economy was the composition of that traffic: 64% of passengers were point-to-point travelers coming directly into Oman, with that segment growing 34% year-on-year. That is an important distinction.

Rather than measuring success purely by the number of passengers connecting through Muscat to another country, Oman Air has increasingly emphasized bringing travelers into Oman — people who stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit attractions, hire guides and vehicles, shop in local businesses and contribute directly to the tourism economy.

Korfiatis will continue to support the airline as Advisor to the CEO, providing continuity and guidance during the transition.

This arrangement gives Al Sharji an opportunity to combine continuity with a new phase of leadership: maintaining the commercial discipline of the transformation program while adding his own experience in Omani national organizations and the aviation sector.

Oman Air’s story stretches back more than three decades.

The airline commenced operations in 1993, initially serving important domestic and regional routes before developing into an international carrier connecting Muscat with cities across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

Over those years, the airline has become closely associated with the development of Muscat as an international aviation gateway. But Oman Air has always occupied a somewhat different position from the Gulf’s largest airlines.

Its purpose is not simply to compete for connecting traffic between continents. The carrier also serves as a strategic instrument for introducing international visitors to Oman and supporting the Sultanate’s tourism, commercial and investment ambitions.

That strategy has become even more visible recently.

Oman Air joined the oneworld alliance in June 2025, dramatically extending the international connectivity available to its passengers through the alliance network.

During 2026, the airline continued expanding its own network. In July alone, it launched five routes: Singapore, Sochi, Tashkent, Dubai–Salalah and Abu Dhabi, taking its network to 49 destinations at that point.

The strategy creates an increasingly powerful proposition: connect more international markets to Oman while using global partnerships to give Oman Air customers access far beyond the destinations served directly by the airline.

Aircraft will be central to the next chapter under Al Sharji.

Oman Air completed an important fleet investment phase in February 2026 with the arrival of another Boeing 737 MAX 8, bringing its total fleet to 33 aircraft. The delivery was part of seven Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft received over the preceding 12 months.

The fleet strategy is built around two complementary missions.

For long-haul flying, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner provides the range and passenger experience required to connect Muscat with major international markets. Oman Air operates both 787-8 and 787-9 variants. The 787-9 can operate missions exceeding 14,000 kilometers in one of the airline’s configurations, making it a highly capable platform for long-distance expansion.

For short- and medium-haul markets, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 provides greater fuel efficiency and modern technology while serving the dense regional network surrounding Oman. Oman Air lists a maximum range of approximately 6,570 kilometers for the aircraft.

The significance of fleet renewal is not merely having newer aircraft. More efficient aircraft can reduce fuel consumption and emissions per journey, lower operating costs and allow an airline to match aircraft capacity more closely with passenger demand. And another major fleet chapter is already on the horizon.

Oman Air has announced that six new widebody aircraft are scheduled to join its fleet from mid-2028, adding long-haul capacity and supporting stronger global connectivity.

For the incoming CEO, decisions about how those aircraft are deployed — which markets receive additional capacity, which new destinations become viable, and how Muscat develops as both a destination and connecting hub — could help shape Oman Air well into the 2030s.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity facing Al Sharji is something Oman possesses naturally: the destination itself.

Oman does not need to become another Gulf destination. Its competitive advantage is precisely that it is different.

Across the Gulf, travelers can find extraordinary modern cities, luxury hotels, shopping, entertainment and ambitious architecture. Oman complements the region with another kind of experience — one centred strongly on landscape, heritage, space, adventure and an understated sense of authenticity.

Few destinations in the region allow a visitor to move so naturally between rugged mountains, ancient forts, desert landscapes, wadis, fishing villages, long beaches and modern luxury resorts.

Reporting originally appeared via eTurboNews. Read the full source for additional context.