Dhaka: Oman Air (WY) has laid off nearly a quarter of its workforce as part of a broader effort to restructure the airline and enhance financial sustainability.

The Muscat-based carrier, which operates a fleet of 32 Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft, previously employed around 4,300 staff—significantly above the industry benchmark of roughly 2,700 for airlines with similar fleet sizes.

The job cuts, totaling 1,000 positions, were confirmed by Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Oman’s Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and Chairman of Oman Air and Oman Airports.

He said the reduction was necessary to bring staffing levels in line with international norms and improve operational efficiency.

Before this restructuring, around 45pc of WY’s workforce consisted of non-core employees, acccording to media. This figure is significantly higher than regional averages.

Of the 1,000 employees whose jobs were cut, 500 positions were held by overseas workers. Of the total figure, over 400 were Omani nationals.

The reduction in staff numbers also included a voluntary retirement program, which has been accepted by 310 of the airline’s employees. In addition, some WY employees were offered alternative positions, with the same salaries but with reduced benefits.

Oman Air anticipates that having a rightsized staff complement will enable it to achieve financial stability while operating efficiently.

-B