WORDS DOMINIC KEITH
A IR L IN E N E W S
Dispatch
Oman Air operates a fleet of 36
aircraft, including 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
LO U N G E
Cathay debuts new Beijing flagship lounge
CATHAY PACIFIC IS now welcoming passengers back to its newly redesigned flagship lounge at Beijing Capital Airport following a complete revamp. The business
New member Oman Air joins Oneworld
THE ONEWORLD alliance has gained a strategic new member in the Middle East. Oman Air is now the alliance’s 15th full member, a move that enhances connectivity across the Gulf and into South Asia, while reinforcing Oneworld’s premium travel focus. With Muscat International
Airport now an official Oneworld hub, the alliance has secured a second stronghold in the Gulf, alongside Qatar Airways in Doha. Oman Air’s membership fills a crucial geographic gap and introduces two new destinations to the alliance network: Khasab in Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, and Lucknow in northern India. Oman Air’s integration brings
‘Oman Air brings three-class cabins and Business Studio suites to the Oneworld alliance’
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
immediate benefits for Oneworld frequent flyers – mile earning and redemption, priority services and access to nearly 700 lounges worldwide, including new branded spaces in Amsterdam and Seoul. Members of the airline’s Sindbad
loyalty programme, in turn, now gain access to Oneworld’s global network. The carrier has also launched
nonstop Muscat–Amsterdam flights, offering more transcontinental connectivity. Known for its boutique-style
service, Oman Air offers three- class cabins and award-winning Business Studio suites. In 2025, it earned APEX Awards for Best Food & Beverage and Best Cabin Service in the Middle East, and became the first airline to receive the APEX World Class lounge distinction at its Muscat base. From the point of view of
premium travellers, Oman Air’s joining of the alliance is both a regional milestone and a global upgrade.
BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC 17
class lounge offers three distinct dining propositions, including the Noodle Bar – a mainstay of Cathay’s lounges worldwide, where travellers will find staples including wonton and spicy dan dan noodles, but also other regional Chinese specialties. The newly reopened Beijing lounge is open to first, business and Oneworld status passengers. There is no separate first class or Oneworld Emerald section. Alongside the
redesigned Beijing
lounge, Cathay Pacific also operates two other lounges in mainland China – an airport lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, as well as its first-ever ferry port lounge at the Shekou port in Shenzhen for intermodal travellers. In Hong Kong, the Oneworld member recently reopened The Bridge and converted The Deck into an interim first class lounge during the
renovation of The Wing, First – which will
reopen in 2026 – followed by The Wing, Business. In the coming years, Cathay Pacific will also debut its first new flagship lounge in New York City. Cathay Pacific currently
operates seven daily return flights between Hong Kong and Beijing, including some with first class.
IMAGES COURTESY OF OMAN AIR; CATHAY PACIFIC
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