SAUDI GAZETTE JEDDAH — SalamAir, Oman's first budget airline launched it first direct flight from Muscat to Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport last Sunday (April 16). The airline is planning to expand more in the Kingdom during this quarter of the year by operating flights from Muscat and Salalah to Madinah and Taif in the coming weeks, this was disclosed during a press conference in Mövenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah on Monday. It noted that Saudi Arabia is considered as a key destination to SalamAir route network. SalamAir will fly four times weekly from Muscat and Salalah to King AbdulAziz Airport in Jeddah. The return ticket prices for Jeddah will start from SR867. François Bouteiller, SalamAir CEO, said "another important step towards realizing our ambitious growth plans is to be able to offer even more choices to our guests and so, starting May 1, 2017, SalamAir will be commencing a daily service to Jeddah in addition to our existing Muscat, Salalah and Dubai daily flight services." It is expected that with SalamAir's services and affordable prices, more people from the Kingdom will be visiting Oman. He added "given the surge of guests who travel from the Kingdom to Oman's Dhofar region in 2016, we expect the direct flights to and from Salalah to be especially popular, as more visitors take advantage of the SalamAir network to enjoy the wonderful greenery and unique climate of Salalah, the home of frankincense, during the Khareef Season." "With services to Jeddah already operating and flights to Madinah and Taif scheduled to commence in the next few weeks, we expect to welcome between 30,000 to 50,000 passengers from Saudi traveling for leisure and business purposes to Oman in the first 12 months of starting operations to the Kingdom," Bouteiller said. SalamAir is planning to operate to Pakistan during the next month starting with thrice weekly flights to Multan, Sialkot, and Karachi. When Bouteiller was asked about what differentiates SalamAir from its competitors in the market, he said "the first low cost carrier operating between Oman and Saudi Arabia, we at SalamAir differentiate ourselves by offering greater flexibility and choice at affordable rates. Our guests can choose to pay less to travel light or opt-in for the extras to create their perfect journey. Serving multiple market segments, SalamAir provides a vital link in the travel ecosystem that helps tourism, leisure and business travel grow and flourish. Built on the philosophy of ‘Always Welcome', SalamAir ensures that Oman's famed hospitality is reflected in all aspects of its services, whether on-ground or in-flight."
