Oman Air will add Athens, capital of Greece, to its expanding network from June.

The daily flight to will be operated with the new-state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Announcing the news, Abdul Aziz Al Raisi, Oman Air chief executive, said: “We are extremely proud and happy to add Athens to our rapidly growing network, as the first of several new routes to be launched in 2019.

“Oman has strong bilateral relations with Greece and the introduction of this new flight will certainly help strengthen relations even further.

“The new route will also enable Oman Air’s guests to explore a remarkable city with an ancient civilisation, steeped in history and amazing landscapes.”

Oman Air flights to Athens, WY 191, will depart Muscat at 14:45 and reach Athens at 19:50.

The return flight will depart Athens at 00:20 and arrive in Muscat at 06:35.

The flight duration is approximately five hours.

Yiannis Paraschis, chief executive, Athens Airport, commented: “We are very pleased with Oman Air’s decision to add Athens to its continuously growing network.

“This significant network addition is great news for travellers on both ends of the route, offering them the possibility to discover Athens and Muscat, two historic and exciting destinations.

“Furthermore, it is also an important development that enhances Athens connectivity towards strategic markets beyond Muscat.

“We wish all the best to Oman Air and we are committed to supporting our new airline partner towards a highly successful presence in the Athens market.”

Oman Air is currently undergoing a fleet and network expansion programme, which will see the airline operate up to 70 aircraft to around 60 destinations by 2022.