MUSCAT: Kigali Airport in the Republic of Rwanda received on Tuesday the first direct flight of SalamAir, the budget carrier of the Sultanate of Oman.
This marks the launch of the first direct air route connecting the two countries, in a move that enhances the carrier's presence in Africa and expands its international destination network.
To mark the occasion, an official reception ceremony was held upon the aircraft's arrival at Kigali Airport. The event was attended by Hamoud bin Khalfan al Busaidy, Honorary Consul of Rwanda to the Sultanate of Oman; Hussain bin Saif al Harthy, Honorary Consul of Oman to Rwanda; and Dan Munyuza, Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the Sultanate of Oman.
On his part, Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir, said, "The launch of our flights to Kigali represents a new and significant milestone in SalamAir's growth journey, as we continue to expand our network toward promising markets that support tourism and business, and enhance international air connectivity." Meanwhile, Said bin Abdullah al Rashdi, Director-General of Corporate Support at SalamAir, mentioned that the inaugural flight took five hours amidst a high turnout from visiting Omani travellers.
He further added that there are currently two direct SalamAir flights from Muscat to Kigali, noting the high demand for today's flight and upcoming ones. He pointed out that opportunities to increase the number of flights in the future are being studied.
SalamAir will operate two weekly flights on the new route, providing travellers with a convenient and economical option to travel between Muscat and Kigali, in addition to the ease of connecting to other flights across its growing network of destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. —ONA
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