Oman Air did three things in a year that most airlines do in a decade: it joined oneworld on 30 June 2025, it retired First Class and rebranded the cabin as Business Studio, and on 2 July 2026 it launched five routes in one month — Singapore four times a week, Abu Dhabi daily, Tashkent, Sochi and a Dubai–Salalah link. The result is a Gulf hub that sits between Europe and Southeast Asia with a business cabin Business Class Journal calls one of the strongest suites flying, at fares that undercut Doha and Abu Dhabi.
The catch is that Oman Air business class comes in two versions on the same aircraft, and only six of thirty seats are the good one. Here are the facts, how the Studio and the Apex differ, and how to make sure you sit in the front two rows.
Oman Air Business Class: Key Facts
- Alliance: full oneworld member since 30 June 2025 — lounge access and through-ticketing on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, JAL, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines; Sindbad Gold maps to oneworld Sapphire
- New routes (July 2026): Muscat–Singapore four weekly from 2 July; Sochi weekly from 2 July; Tashkent twice weekly from 3 July; Dubai–Salalah three weekly from 3 July; Abu Dhabi daily from 9 July
- Fleet: 10 Boeing 787-9s as of May 2026, on London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and now Singapore; 737 MAX on regional routes
- 787-9 business cabin: 30 seats — 6 Business Studio in two rows of 1-2-1 with sliding lattice doors about 60 inches high, 23-inch 4K screens and a 200-cm bed; 24 Apex Suites in four rows of staggered 2-2-2 without doors, 17-inch screens, 198-cm bed
- First Class: retired late 2024; the Studio is the former First cabin sold at business fares
- Soft product: Amouage amenity kit (about US$420 retail), Al Bustan Palace catering with shuwa lamb and Omani dishes, Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve; crew use passengers’ names throughout
- Ground: 1,400-square-metre business lounge at Muscat with a reflecting pool and Al Bustan catering
- Fares: Europe–Asia business returns from about €1,340 in the August 2026 flash sale (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Paris, Rome, Zurich to Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Delhi, Mumbai and others, travel to 9 December 2026); see below
The Studio Is First Class by Another Name
When Oman Air dropped First Class at the end of 2024 it did not remove the seats; it renamed them. The six Business Studio suites in the first two rows of the 787-9 are the old First: a 1-2-1 with sliding lattice doors that close to about 60 inches, a 23-inch 4K screen, a two-metre bed, a wardrobe and, by Business Class Journal’s account, noticeably better acoustics than the cabin behind. Meals are served course by course from a menu developed with the Al Bustan Palace, and the amenity kit is by Amouage, the Omani perfumer, worth around US$420 at retail. It is, at business fares, one of the best-value suites in the Gulf.
The 24 Apex Suites behind are a different product — a competent 2018-generation staggered 2-2-2 with a 17-inch screen and no door, reviewed as fine for sleeping and short on privacy. Same fare, same flight, different cabin; in Oman Air business class the seat selection is what matters.
Muscat as the Third Gulf Hub
Oman Air has always been the smaller option between Europe and Asia, and oneworld membership is what makes it usable: Avios and AAdvantage earning, oneworld Sapphire and Emerald lounge access across the alliance, and through-tickets onto British Airways and Cathay. The July expansion added Singapore four times a week — the airline’s first return since the pandemic — alongside Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila, so a European reader can now reach Southeast Asia via Muscat on the 787-9 in both directions. For Bali the connection is Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo suites fly the last three hours, or Singapore onwards.
The Muscat lounge, 1,400 square metres with a reflecting pool and the same Al Bustan kitchen, is the ground half of the argument; Muscat itself is a quieter transit than Doha or Dubai.
Tip: book business, then select rows one or two on the seat map — the six Studio suites are sold as ordinary business seats and go first. If only rows three to six show, you have the Apex.
The Gulf Alternative, First-Hand
I have not flown Oman Air and this is a preview. My two Gulf reviews frame it: Etihad’s 787-9 business class, 3.5 out of 5 for an excellent seat and a return fare of about €2,500 that often undercut Qatar and Singapore by half, marked down for the wine and a crowded lounge; and Emirates’ 777, where the seat was good and the cabin dated. Oman Air’s Studio sells the same value proposition as Etihad with, on paper, better catering and a quieter lounge — which is exactly the combination I would want to test on a Muscat–Singapore–Bali itinerary.
How Much Does It Cost?
Oman Air does not publish rack fares, but it runs frequent flash sales on Europe–Asia business: the August 2026 sale offered returns from about €1,340 from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Paris, Rome and Zurich to Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Delhi and Mumbai for travel to 9 December 2026, with not every pairing available on every date. Studio and Apex sell at the same fare; the Studio is a seat selection in rows one and two. Avios and AAdvantage awards are available through oneworld.
Flight prices do move between platforms. The same business class seat on the same date is not always the same price on the airline’s own site, Trip.com and Expedia: point-of-sale currency, consolidator fares and what is bundled into the ticket can shift the fare by a few percent — and occasionally by much more on premium cabins booked out of Asia.
So before I pay I run the same dates through Aviasales, which scans dozens of booking sites at once, then check Trip.com (often the sharpest on Asian routes) and Expedia (strongest when you add a hotel to the same booking). One caveat: a ticket bought through a booking site is changed or refunded through that site, not the airline, so read the fare rules before you buy.
Oman Air Business Class: FAQ
What is the difference between Oman Air Business Studio and the Apex business seats?
Both sell at the same business fare on the Boeing 787-9. The six Business Studio suites in rows one and two are the former First Class, with sliding lattice doors, 23-inch 4K screens and a 200-cm bed. The 24 Apex Suites behind are a staggered 2-2-2 without doors, with 17-inch screens.
How do I get a Business Studio seat on Oman Air?
Book business class, then select row one or two on the seat map. The Studio suites are sold as ordinary business seats and go first; if only rows three to six show, you have the Apex cabin.
Is Oman Air in oneworld?
Yes. Oman Air has been a full oneworld member since 30 June 2025, with lounge access and through-ticketing on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, JAL, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.
Does Oman Air fly to Singapore?
Yes. Muscat–Singapore returned on 2 July 2026, four times a week — the airline’s first Singapore service since the pandemic.
A former First Class suite at a business fare, oneworld miles and a quiet hub — Oman Air business class is the Gulf option worth pricing before Doha, if you get the right row.
Photos © Oman Air and oneworld
This preview is based on official announcements — I haven’t flown Oman Air yet. Read more about how I review or visit my Work With Me page.
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