Oman Air appoints Nasser Al Sharji as CEO as carrier enters a new phase of transformation
Muscat, Oman — August 21, 2026 — Oman Air has announced the appointment of Nasser Al Sharji as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, replacing Con Korfiatis after just over two years at the helm.
The change was announced in an official Oman Air communiqué dated August 20, 2026, titled “Oman Air Announces Nasser Al Sharji as New Chief Executive Officer.” The announcement describes Al Sharji as an experienced executive with more than 25 years of leadership, operational and business-transformation experience. He has held senior positions at ASYAD Group, OQ and Nama Water Services, and most recently served as CEO of Transom Handling and Acting CEO of Oman Airports Management Company.
Oman Air Chairman Saeed Al Mawali praised Al Sharji’s “strong understanding of the aviation sector” and his track record in leading organisations through transformation and change. The company also thanked Korfiatis, who has served as CEO since May 2024, for leading what it described as one of the most significant periods of transformation in the airline’s history.
Importantly, Oman Air did not announce Korfiatis’s departure from the company altogether. He will remain involved as Advisor to the CEO, providing continuity and guidance to the new leadership.
A transition rather than a performance-related departure?
The official announcement does not cite a specific reason for the change, and there is currently no public indication that Korfiatis was removed because of a failure to deliver his mandate.
In fact, the timing is notable. Oman Air has repeatedly highlighted progress under its transformation programme. In January 2026, the Oman News Agency reported that the airline had carried approximately 5.8 million passengers in 2025, up 8% year-on-year, while its load factor increased from 76% in 2024 to 82% in 2025. The agency also reported that Oman Air’s transformation programme, launched in 2023, was progressing towards its objective of achieving financial break-even.
Against this backdrop, one possible interpretation is that the change marks the end of one phase of Oman Air’s restructuring and the beginning of another.
This remains an interpretation rather than an explanation provided by Oman Air. However, Korfiatis’s mandate was closely associated with financial sustainability, operational efficiency, network discipline and organisational transformation. The airline now appears to be moving toward the next stage of that process, with Al Sharji bringing extensive experience from within Oman’s aviation and government-linked business ecosystem.
A move towards Omani leadership?
Another plausible explanation is a desire to place an Omani executive at the centre of the next phase of the national carrier’s development.
Al Sharji’s profile is particularly relevant in this regard. Unlike an external airline executive brought in to conduct a turnaround, he has spent much of his career within Oman’s corporate and government-linked sectors. His recent leadership roles at Transom Handling and Oman Airports give him direct knowledge of the country’s aviation infrastructure and operating environment.
His appointment could therefore signal a shift from a predominantly restructuring-oriented phase, led by an international airline executive, towards a phase focused on consolidation, sustainable growth and execution within Oman’s wider aviation strategy.
Again, this should be viewed as an informed hypothesis rather than an officially stated reason for the appointment.
SalamAir: a striking parallel
The timing becomes more interesting when viewed alongside a second CEO change announced in Oman on the same day.
SalamAir also announced on August 20 that Eng. Yaqoob bin Saif bin Hamoud Al Kiyumi will become its new CEO, effective October 1, 2026, replacing Adrian Hamilton-Manns. SalamAir described the appointment as marking “a new chapter” for the airline, with priorities including sustainable growth, operational excellence, customer experience and strengthening its role within Oman’s aviation sector.
The parallel with Oman Air is striking. Both carriers are changing CEOs within weeks of each other, and both incoming executives are Omani.
SalamAir’s own official announcement says that Al Kiyumi will lead the airline into its “next phase of development”, building on the foundations already established and supporting continued growth and connectivity.
The broader context is also significant. SalamAir announced in February 2026 that the Government of Oman had completed its majority ownership of the airline, while the carrier is targeting a fleet of 25 aircraft by 2028.
Taken together, the two appointments could therefore point to a broader evolution of Oman’s aviation sector: after a period in which international executives were brought in to drive transformation and growth, Omani executives may increasingly be taking the lead in the next stage of development.
A coordinated shift in Oman’s aviation leadership?
It would be premature to describe the two appointments as a coordinated government policy without further evidence. Neither Oman Air nor SalamAir has stated that the changes are part of a common leadership strategy.
Nevertheless, the coincidence is difficult to ignore.
Oman Air is moving from Con Korfiatis to Nasser Al Sharji, while SalamAir is moving from Adrian Hamilton-Manns to Yaqoob Al Kiyumi. In both cases, the outgoing CEOs are being thanked for their contribution, while the incoming leaders are presented as executives capable of taking the airlines into their next stage.
The evidence therefore supports a cautious hypothesis: Oman’s aviation sector may be moving from an era of restructuring and externally led transformation toward a new phase of locally led consolidation and growth.
About Oman Air
Oman Air currently operates a fleet of 33 aircraft, according to the airline’s latest official fleet update in February 2026, comprising Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737s. The airline carried 5.8 million passengers in 2025, up 8% year-on-year and 57% compared with 2022.
Its load factor rose to 82% in 2025, from 76% in 2024, reflecting a significant improvement in capacity utilisation.
The airline also increased the proportion of point-to-point passengers to 64%, up 34% year-on-year, supporting its strategy of attracting more visitors directly to Oman.
These figures point to a clear operational and commercial improvement under the ongoing transformation programme, although the company has yet to complete its objective of reaching financial break-even.
Source: Oman Air
