Bad weather forces cancellation of ferry services for 3 days from Jan 5

By Zainab Al Nasseri — MUSCAT: Jan 3: The National Ferries Company (NFC) has cancelled many trips between January 5 and 7 due to bad weather, according to an announcement on its social media page. Ferry services between Muscat and Khasab and vice-versa, Khasab-Lima-Khasab, Shinas-Daba-Khasab and Khasab-Daba-Shinas were cancelled because of “unstable conditions” in Oman Sea waters, said its post on the Facebook. However, Nabhan al Nabhani, Manager, Public Relations and Media, NFC, told the Observer that trips to the northern destinations “will be cancelled if the latest weather forecasts indicate instability” in those areas.

“Trips to Masirah and on Daba-Lima route will be as per schedule. We are closely watching the northern side, where the sea is expected to be rough, reaching a height of three metres accompanied by wind speeds of 30 knots per hour,” he said. Al Nabhani said the safety of our passengers was priority and “delaying trips is for their good”. A decision on the ferry services on the Iran route will be decided after receiving the weather report, he said. “We’ll make an announcement on the Khasab-Qasham-Khasab trips once we receive the weather report from the Public Authority of Civil Aviation.” Al Nabhani, however, said the company will “resume normal services next week if conditions stabilise”.