Oman Air said it has signed a base maintenance contract with Germany's Lufthansa Technik for its 15 Boeing 737 NG aircraft.Lufthansa Technik is the maintenance arm of German airline Deutsche Lufthansa.

Checks and modifications to the aircraft will take place at the Lufthansa Technik base maintenance location in Budapest, Hungary, the companies said in a joint statement.

Oman Air, which aims to return to profit in 2014, and Lufthansa Technik, are in talks for a wider cooperation in the region, the statement said.

The Sultanate of Oman has been trying to diversify the national economy to include higher income from tourism and natural gas to reduce its dependence on oil.

Oman Air currently has a fleet of 21 aircraft including 4 Airbus A330s and 15 Boeing 737s. It has 17 planes on order.

Source: Reuters