SalamAir set to fly to Saudi and Pakistan

By Vinod Nair — MUSCAT: April 11 - SalamAir has announced new destinations to its international network with flights to Saudi Arabia scheduled to start from April 16. With return tickets from RO 89, the airline will fly four times a week to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, which will be turned into a daily service from the month-end. In the coming weeks, the airline will add Madinah to its schedule. Frequency to Salalah has been increased to four daily flights. The airline will also be launching routes to Pakistan within the month, probably starting with Sialkot and followed by Multan (both three times a week). The third destination of Karachi will be a daily operation. Fares for these routes will be known once tickets are available online. In addition, plans are under way to increase connectivity to Saudi Arabia, especially during Ramadhan, with direct flights from Muscat to Taif and a through flight from Salalah to Taif via Muscat along with more flights to Madina; all to accommodate the increasing number of guests travelling for umrah. François Bouteiller, CEO, SalamAir, said: “It has been a busy period since our launch in January and the introduction of these new destinations reflects our determination to keep up the momentum.” Khalid al Yahmadi, CEO, SalamAir, said: “These new flights to Saudi Arabia will open new tourism, trade and investment opportunities, contributing to the Omani economy by attracting more tourists and business travellers and in turn spur the creation of employment opportunities in the Sultanate.” SalamAir’s expansion to Saudi Arabia adds to the airline’s existing Muscat, Salalah, and Dubai daily flight services. The new routes will be operated using SalamAir’s growing fleet of Airbus A320s known for wider cabins, lower operating costs, fuel efficiency and outstanding safety records. The airline plans to have a fleet of 10-15 aircraft by 2020. All routes offer a choice of three easy fare options — Light, Friendly and Flexi. Moreover, guests flying from Salalah to Jeddah and Madinah will be offered ‘through flights’, meaning that they can remain on board during the 50-minute Muscat transit to Saudi Arabia. Additional services include extra luggage allowance, seat selection, and priority check-in.