Oman's low-cost carrier also planning flights from Salalah to Kuwait, with possible operations to India
Oman’s low-cost carrier Salamair said it plans to launch flights from Salalah to Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, as it looks to develop operations from the southern Omani tourist destination.
Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of Salamair, said the move to expand operations in Salalah will be subject to discussion with local authorities and stakeholders.
The airline currently operates 21 direct flights from Muscat to Salalah each week, as well as connecting Muscat International Airport to 14 regional destinations.
Captain Ahmed said if it received the go-ahead to operate flights from Salalah, the airline could base part of its growing fleet there.
“Salalah has the potential of being our hub, it will enable us to take major strides to further expand our operations and network,” said Captain Ahmed.
“We also want to achieve greater air connectivity for Oman, which is key to unlocking the Sultanate’s economic diversification strategy and growth potential, as well as spur key sectors like tourism, aviation and logistics in the process. Our decision will depend on the facilities that will be provided to make Salalah a hub.”
The airline carried 1.4 million passengers since the start of its operations. Of these, 600,000 were to and from Salalah. In addition to the Gulf, Captain Ahmed said there's opportunity to connect Salalah with India.
“Direct international flights from Salalah will create additional demand and reflect positively on the local economy. In the future, we will consider flying direct to India from Salalah if we get the traffic rights.”
With a current fleet of four aircraft, the carrier plans to added another five Airbus A320neo in the first half of this year.
The Salamair network consists of 14 destinations including Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Shiraz, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Dhaka, and Alexandria.
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