Crew strike halts British Airways' Muscat-London flights

Muscat: British Airways (BA) will not operate flights from Muscat to London until August 23, 2017 due to crew strikes.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “We are doing all we can to minimise disruption to customers affected by the crew strikes. As during Unite’s previous industrial action, we will ensure all our customers reach their destinations. We are advising customers to keep checking the very latest information on our website.”
Travel agents said the airline is re-booking tickets with Qatar Airways via Doha during the disruption. “If a customer doesn’t want to fly in Qatar Airways, we are giving them a full refund,” a travel agent said.
From August 24, British Airways hopes to fly direct to London’s Heathrow Airport from Muscat. “From next Thursday, the flights will operate as usual with the London flight departing at 8.05am from the Muscat International Airport and arriving in Heathrow Airport at 13.20 pm,” the travel agent said.
From August 24, British Airways hopes to fly direct to London’s Heathrow Airport from Muscat. “From next Thursday, the flights will operate as usual with the London flight departing at 8.05am from the Muscat International Airport and arriving in Heathrow Airport at 13.20 pm,” the travel agent said.
The U.K. carrier had launched direct flights between Muscat and London in October 2016 for Omani customers and expats travelling between the two countries.
Earlier, it used to fly via Abu Dhabi to London—a journey of nine hours and 45 minutes.
“But now it reaches Heathrow in seven hours and 15 minutes, two and a half hours shorter than the previous journey,” a regular passenger said.
The UK carrier has been flying to Oman since 1972.
The service is operated by the airline’s Boeing 777, five times a week, featuring four cabins of travel—First, Club World (British Airways’ business cabin), World Traveller Plus and World Traveller (British Airways’ economy cabin).
Some passengers, however, complained that they were informed just 48 hours before their flight that it was no longer available. “Then we had to go via Doha, which took almost 11 hours instead of seven hours of flying time,” a passenger said.