Oman Air is the latest major carrier to announce it is suspending all international flights.

The flag carrier said all passenger services to and from Muscat would be paused indefinitely from noon on Sunday March 29.

Domestic flights to and from Musandam Governorate and cargo operations will operate as normal.

“We regret the difficulty and inconvenience this may cause, but it’s vital for us as the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman to assist in the country’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19,” said the airline’s CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi.

“We will prioritise the needs of our guests and employees as we continue to assess the evolving situation.

“This is an unprecedented time for our industry, but I am confident we will emerge stronger from this crisis as we had successfully done so in the past.”

It follows a travel ban on all non-Omani nationals.

Foreign nationals can leave Oman, but will not be able to return.

The airline has waived change fees for all flights booked between March 6 till May 31, though additional fare differences for new flights will apply, and it has not yet announced an extension of this to earlier bookings.

Read our latest coverage of the coronavirus.