Oman Air to avoid Iraq airspace

MUSCAT // Oman’s national carrier will no longer overfly Iraq after US strikes on Islamist militant positions there, it announced on Monday after several other companies had re-routed their flights.

Oman Air said the decision concerned flights heading to Europe and Beirut.

“This is a preventive measure due to the events taking place in the region,” the airline said in a statement on the official Omani news agency ONA.

Oman Air recalled that it had since April re-routed flights over Ukraine and Syria due to the conflicts in both countries.

The Federal Aviation Administration in Washington banned all US civilian flights over Iraq just hours after American warplanes Friday carried out the first air strikes on positions held by jihadists of the Islamic State, who have occupied swathes of northern Iraq.

A slew of airlines have also said they will no longer overfly Iraq, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Air France, Emirates, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Kuwait Airways, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways.

* Agence France-Presse

THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo

Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm

Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km

On sale: December

Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.