Abu Dhabi’s Rotana Jet is boosting flights to Oman in a bid to offer an alternative for thousands of expats planning a visa run.
It has increased frequency to Muscat to four flights per week. It also plans to add a fifth flight on November 21. A round-trip ticket costs about Dh330.
“We are increasing our frequency to Oman, as we want more people to use Rotana Jet,” said Rajendran Vellapalath, commercial and planning director at Rotana Jet. “We are targeting traders between the two countries and those who go for a visa run or are changing their visa from tourist visa to a residential one.”
According to UAE regulations, tourist visa holders must exit to any neighbouring country or their home country and enter on a new visa, after they attain a work permit. Rotana Jet is targeting this segment by offering a cheaper option to exit via Oman.
Every week expats spend hours driving from Abu Dhabi to border posts at Hatta and Mazyad to exit and return with the purpose of getting a visa stamp to prolong their stay in the UAE.
Rotana is also targeting the 46 nationalities that can attain a 30-day visit visa upon arrival. Those nationalities often exit and re-enter via Oman in what is known as a visa run and include the UK, US and newly added countries such as Romania, Croatia, Poland and Cyprus.
A number of companies offer buses from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Oman expressly for people on visa runs.
The return journey from Dubai to the Oman-Hatta border takes about four-and-a-half hours. It costs Dh150 if the fee is paid online and Dh200 if the fee is paid on the day of the visa run. An additional fee of Dh50 is added for the visa to Oman.
Rotana Jet can be a more convenient option for residents in Abu Dhabi. However, flights do not depart on the same day, making it mandatory to spend the night in Muscat for a return flight the next day.
In October, Rotana Jet said that it moved its scheduled operations from Al Bateen Airport to Terminal 2 at Abu Dhabi International. The airline will continue to operate its private jet services from Al Bateen.
selgazzar@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
