400 jobs for Omanis at Muscat’s new airport

Four hundred fresh jobs will be available for Omanis at the new Muscat International Airport as Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Oman Air have signed a job training deal, the PDO said in a statement.

The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing PDO to support the training of the jobseekers in a variety of cabin and ground staff positions, along with the upskilling of a further 100 existing Oman Air customer service staff.

The successful completion of the internationally accredited vocational courses will lead to guaranteed full-time positions with the national carrier in customer relations and ramp services,” the PDO statement added.

The agreement was signed by PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci and Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch.

“As part of our National Objectives programme to create job and training opportunities for Omanis, PDO is going beyond our natural boundaries of the oil and gas sector to support economic diversification and development,” Restucci said.

“Working with our trusted partners at Oman Air, we will ensure that hundreds of young jobseekers are ready to play key roles in the new Muscat International Airport which will be a showpiece for the country and the region,” he added.

Meanwhile, Oman Air CEO said that the airline’s partnership with PDO demonstrates the airline’s continuing commitment to the Sultanate’s policy of Omanisation.

“Oman Air takes seriously the responsibility to employ as many Omani citizens as possible and provide them with rewarding careers and career development opportunities. Raising the skills and experience bases of the Omani workforce, have always been the focal point of our business,” the Oman Air CEO said while adding that Oman Air will increase the percentage of Omani citizens it employs to 63 per cent in 2016.

“Not only will this benefit Oman Air and the broader aviation sector in Oman, but it will also help the trainees make a greater long-term contribution to the Sultanate and its economic growth. We look forward to welcoming the first 120 candidates to their ramp services training very soon,” he added.

The courses will last for up to 12 months and include a mixture of technical and on-the-job training. Those who pass customer service and ramp service training will gain an International Air Transport Association (IATA) diplomas and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) certification.