SalamAir, Oman’s first budget airline, has achieved remarkable results during its first six months of operation. Backed by a growing fleet of A320s, the airline has been able to expand its operations to include nine destinations and has opened the skies for more than 223,765 guests flying over 2,128,272 kilometres across the region to experience its value-added service offering.
Commenting on the airline’s success, Eng Khalid bin Hilal al Yahmadi, Chairman of SalamAir said: “The last six months have been tremendously exciting, filled with landmark moments as we made our vision of affordable travel for more people to take more journeys a reality. We have enabled people across the region to expand their personal and business horizons, travel more frequently, and connect more with colleagues, friends and family. As we mark this important milestone, I would like to sincerely thank our ever-growing number of guests for choosing SalamAir, as well as the incredible SalamAir family, as each and every one of them has contributed to the success of our airline.”
He added, “A home-grown airline, SalamAir is proud to be a catalyst for Oman’s vision for sustainable development and diversification. Opening up new routes and destinations, the capacity we provide is increasing tourism and leisure flows to support the Sultanate in the achievement of its tourism development goals and objectives. The facilitation of business travel is also an important element of our activities, as we make the many attractive prospects of the Sultanate’s industrial base more accessible to investors and entrepreneurs from around the region.”
The Chairman went on to highlight that to date the airline has created 180 direct jobs, achieving a remarkable 56 per cent Omanisation rate. He explained that SalamAir is committed to reach the regulatory 60 per cent Omanisation rate at the earliest possible and is currently preparing to enrol a new batch of cabin crew into its training programme as it looks forward to the next stage of its network growth. The 24/7 SalamAir Call Centre has also successfully responded to over 79,800 calls, 15,400 live chats, and responded to 3,900 emails, in addition to being 100 per cent run by Omanis.
SalamAir is redefining air travel in the region and helping position Oman as an international travel hub. Having already flown over two million kilometres, the airline has expanded its network to include Dubai, Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia and Sialkot and Karachi in Pakistan.
Responding to summer surges in demand for travel, the airline introduced new seasonal routes to destinations in the region such as Sohar and Taif and increased the frequency of its services between Muscat to Salalah. As it continues to develop its schedule and the scope of its operations, SalamAir will maintain its strong focus on serving the needs and demands of its guests on under-served short-haul routes, a forward-thinking strategy that is driving the rapid growth of the airline.
Business Reporter
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
