In response to the Letter to the Editor ‘Oman Air’s flight from Cairo runs out of fuel’ published on April 17, Oman Air has issued a clarification.
It stated: We would like to clarify the reason for the diversion of our flight WY406 from Cairo to Muscat on 14th April to Al Ain. Normal diversions like this one are not emergencies, unless declared to be so. Flight WY 406 was not on emergency or emergency landing. Rest assured, as always, Oman air puts the safety of its passengers as our number one priority.
The flight departed Cairo with the correct planned fuel. It was planned to cruise at an altitude of 37,000 feet. However after the flight had taken-off, the Air Traffic Control restricted the altitude to just 33,000 ft. This could be due to the heavy traffic crossing the Saudi airspace. Since the air is denser, jet engines burn more fuel at lower altitudes. There is always contingency fuel on every flight to cater for such situations.
Unfortunately, due to the prolonged period of flying at 4000 feet below the optimum altitude, the contingency fuel was also used up. However, there was still enough fuel to continue to Muscat. The aircraft was diverted so that we could fuel up for any further contingencies to ensure maximum safety of our passengers. We thank our pilots for considering all the factors and taking the safest decision given the circumstances. We understand your concerns and hope our response provides a better insight into how we strive to maintain our unique safety record.
Source: MuscatDaily