Oman is a destination known to Filipinos as a hub for OFWs. With 52,000 Filipino workers employed in various capacities including domestic work, retail, and health care according to data from the Philippine Embassy as of May 2020, it is known as a safe destination for workers in the Middle East.
It is likewise said to be one of the safest countries in the world to travel to, and Oman Air, which started operations in the Philippines in 2014, seeks to bring in more Filipino business and leisure travellers as well.
There are many tourist attractions to visit such as souks and mosques where one can soak up the local culture. Oman Air Philippines Country Manager Salah Sakhi Mahmood Al Balushi says that pre-pandemic, they started with one daily flight and sought to increase the frequency to three flights when they saw the demand.
Before flights were grounded, Al Balushi says Oman Air in the Philippines was doing very well. “Our ledger has been increasing by as much as four or five times, we were preparing to add more flights.” Then, challenges came early this year, such as the Taal Volcano eruption and the current Covid-19 pandemic. He shares, “The challenges and the inconvenience factors will be there forever, but we accept them and try to prepare for them because we face a lot of this in the industry. What is very important is that we protect our guests first of all, because they are our main responsibility.”
World explorer
Prior to joining Oman Air, Al Balushi worked at a travel agency and a call center as he pursued his studies. He’s been to almost 70 countries he says, and enjoys learning about new destinations and mixes business with leisure. “Travel is my best thing to do and I annually go and explore the new countries, to understand the Asian market all around the world.”
He first came to Manila in March 2009. “My previous role in management was about assisting in creating competitive pricing standards in line with company objectives, so I went around to places like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, China, and the Philippines. This was in 2015 as the plan from the beginning was to go check the market in Asia.”
Al Balushi admits that he enjoys his time in the Philippines. Now in his first long-staying assignment out of Oman’s capital city Muscat, he says he has adapted to living here. “I feel very comfortable and I am happy. The people around me are nice, and as I am single without any family here. [Before the pandemic] I [can] go out alone to the shopping malls and go anywhere around the city. I feel at home.”
He describes Filipinos as very kind and very hardworking. “Even before I come to Manila, I was meeting with all the teams here because I was doing things such as pricing. Communicating with them in English is easy and I feel at ease dealing with them. There is less of a cultural barrier not only because of the language, but because the people are so nice and they are very welcoming. Filipinos smile every time and so it is almost the same as what we have in Oman.”
Of course, there is still no place like home and Al Abalushi is proud to be an Omani. As a top official for the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, he feels that he is not only representing the company, but is also an unofficial ambassador of the country at the same time.
“I think Oman is not very well-known by the Filipinos, they think mostly of Dubai, and maybe other countries. That is why I am promoting the country, as we saw the potential of the Filipino travellers. When they come to Muscat, they like the city because it is very clean and there are many places to visit. Then they can stay longer and go around other cities. This is why we are pushing for point-to-point promotions, so that more Filipinos can explore the country.”
Oman Air has different marketing strategies, and one of which is to promote Oman as a destination. “In our promotional videos, we show not only our products, but we also highlight Oman. We believe that if Filipinos know about our packages and our country, then they will go on to promote us as one. We are really focusing more on bringing the people from here to Oman, also to bring Omanis to the Philippines to explore the country. Even our flyers promote sightseeing at Muscat and other areas, so our guests can see those beautiful places and plan their trip accordingly.”
Service excellence
The company culture is also designed to reflect the country’s values. “Our training is focused on showing our brand of hospitality to others wherever we are. We also ensure that we put our guests first. With the current situation it is also about being in line with the right and updated information, because it is our responsibility to protect their well-being. We also support our partners in all our markets because they have been there for us and so we have to be there for them as well.”
He proudly reports that their service gets positive reviews from their passengers.
“They have everything starting from the airport to the time they go on board, and they remark even on the product, the cleanliness, and the space. We have many repeat passengers who also try to convince their friends to book with us. We are getting famous on that part because of our good feedback from 99 percent of our guests and we are very happy about that.” With their efforts geared towards excellence, they have now been able to compete with other airlines companies from the Middle East, he adds.
Before the global situation restricted travel, he was focused on developing premium products for passengers from the Philippines. “Our responsibility is to provide our passengers with good service. We want to push our business class further because we have already seen a 60 to 70 percent increase in demand. Of course, as we expand our products and add more flights, we remain committed to constantly improve our service to make all our guests feel comfortable. That is what keeps bringing them back.”
