Oman Air picks Sabre as its preferred GDS

Oman Air has named Sabre as its preferred global distribution system (GDS) as part of a marketing agreement signed by the airline and Sabre Travel Network. The deal gives Sabre Connected travel agencies access to the full range of Oman Air fares, and will allow Oman Air to promote and support Sabre as its preferred GDS through joint sales and marketing activities in Oman and beyond.

As part of the agreement, Oman Air has upgraded to Sabre's Direct Connect Availability (DCA), the highest level of connectivity in the Sabre system. This means that Sabre Connected travel agencies will benefit from real-time access and last seat availability to the carrier's inventory.

The airline's full range of fares will also be made available through Travelocity and lastminute.com.

In addition, Sabre Connected travel agents will now be able to issue electronic tickets for travel on Oman Air. The airline has worked closely with Sabre Travel Network's sister company, Sabre Airline Solutions, to bring itself up to speed with IATA's e-ticketing requirements and was one of the first carriers in the region to use Sabre's electronic ticketing hub to streamline its e-ticketing initiative.

"We are currently targeting to achieve 100 percent e-ticketing implementation by the end of 2006, a year earlier than IATA's target date for the end of paper ticketing," said Ziad Al Haremi, acting chief executive officer of Oman Air. "Through e-ticketing, Oman Air expects to reduce its distribution costs by approximately 40 percent in Oman, and around 30 percent across the Middle East. This will be an added incentive for our travel agency customers to support bookings through the Sabre system."

Dean Bibb, Sabre Travel Network's vice president for supplier relations in EMEA, said: "Oman Air's decision to make Sabre its preferred GDS stems largely from our ability to offer additional distribution value through our ownership of companies in every channel of travel sales and distribution.
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"This deal involves not only the Sabre GDS, but also Travelocity, lastminute.com and operational and decision-support products from Sabre Airline Solutions. We have used the entire range of Sabre Holdings businesses to add terrific value to this airline partner."

About Oman Air
Since its establishment in 1993 as a regional carrier, Oman Air has witnessed tremendous expansions both in structure and performance. It played a fundamental role in promoting air transport to and from the Sultanate of Oman, where the numbers of multicultural passengers increased during the years, and consequently recognized Oman Air, as one of the paramount regional airlines. Oman Air has now become fully prepared, and determined to go into the future with a modern vision.

Oman Air, Oman's national carrier is currently operating 10 aircraft, 6 out of which, are the new Generation Boeing 737- 800 and 700. This modern fleet reaches many important cities in the Gulf, the Middle East regions and the Indian sub-continent. It flies to Muscat, Salalah, Khasab, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait. Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram,Chennai, Kochi , Hyderabad, Delhi, Cairo and Beirut.