SalamAir expands Stopover Programme to Indonesian market

SalamAir, in collaboration with Visit Oman and in coordination with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, is expanding its Stopover Programme, an initiative designed to encourage connecting passengers to stop, stay and experience Oman as part of their journey. 

By connecting SalamAir’s growing international network with Oman’s tourism offering, the programme aims to bring more visitors into the Sultanate and create wider value for the local tourism and hospitality sectors, while supporting Oman’s ambition to strengthen its position as an attractive and accessible tourism destination. 

As the first phase of the programme, SalamAir has partnered with its General Sales Agent PT Salam Aviasi in Indonesia to introduce dedicated 'Umrah Plus' packages for passengers travelling from Medan to Jeddah via Muscat. 
Rather than simply connecting through Muscat, passengers have the opportunity to stop overnight in Oman before continuing their journey to Jeddah, giving them the chance to experience the Sultanate as part of their Umrah journey. 

The programme has already received an encouraging response, with more than 1,000 passengers confirmed for travel during September and October, and approximately 6,500 additional passengers in the pipeline through February 2027. 
This brings the total potential number of visitors to more than 7,500 during the initial phase. 

Each stopover creates an opportunity for visitors to experience more of Oman while contributing to the local tourism economy through hotel stays, restaurants, transportation, retail, tours and other tourism services. The programme also creates additional opportunities for local tourism operators, service providers and SMEs, demonstrating how aviation connectivity can support tourism activity and generate wider economic value for the Sultanate. 

Building on the initial response, SalamAir, Visit Oman and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism will continue to develop the programme, with the ambition of extending stopovers from one night to two or three nights through enhanced packages and curated experiences that encourage visitors to stay longer and discover more of Oman. 

The partners will also explore opportunities to introduce Salalah to the Indonesian market, showcasing Dhofar’s distinctive natural landscapes, cultural and historical attractions, and providing visitors with more opportunities to experience the diversity of the Sultanate. 

Azzan bin Qassim Al Busaidi — Undersecretary for Tourism, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, commented: “The Stopover Programme reflects the importance of collaboration between the aviation and tourism sectors in supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s tourism ambitions. By encouraging passengers travelling through Muscat to extend their journey and experience Oman, we can create new visitor flows, increase tourism spending and generate wider opportunities across the hospitality, tourism and SME sectors. 

“We look forward to developing the programme further and creating more opportunities for visitors to discover the diversity of experiences Oman has to offer.” 

Eng. Yaqoob bin Saif Al Kiyomi, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir, said: “At SalamAir, we see every connection through Oman as an opportunity to introduce more people to our country. Through the Stopover Programme, we are using our growing network to turn connecting passengers into visitors, giving them the opportunity to experience Oman as part of their journey while creating additional value for the tourism and hospitality sectors. 

“The encouraging response from Indonesia demonstrates the potential of this approach. By working together with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Visit Oman, we can bring more visitors to the Sultanate, encourage them to stay longer and discover more of Oman.” 

Shabib Mohamed Al Maamari — Managing Director, Visit Oman, said: “Our role is to make it easy for visitors to turn a stopover into an opportunity to experience Oman. By bringing together accommodation, transportation, tours and experiences into attractive packages, we can give connecting passengers a simple and convenient way to discover the Sultanate during their journey. 

“The initial response from the Indonesian market is very encouraging, and we see strong potential to build on this by developing longer stays and introducing visitors to more destinations and experiences across Oman, including Salalah.”