INCREASING connectivity between Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) destinations, SalamAir has launched non-stop flights to Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabic, as well as four seasonal flights to Madinah catering to Umrah travelers during the holy month of Ramadan.

The new service is the airline’s second destination in the Kingdom after Jeddah. Return tickets to Riyadh and Madinah are now available at special promotional fares.

Starting June 1, 2019, SalamAir will fly four times a week to Riyadh on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, departing Muscat at 10:25 arriving in Riyadh at 11:25. Return flights will depart from Riyadh at 12:20 arriving in Muscat at 15:30.

SalamAir’s four seasonal flights to Madinah with return to Muscat will be on May 9, May 16, May 23, May 28, 2019.

Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said “the Jeddah-Muscat route has been successful, and we look forward to expanding our network across the Kingdom by adding Riyadh and Madinah. Saudi Arabia is a market poised for growth when it comes to the aviation sector. The country recorded 8% passenger growth in 2017 and 12% in H1 2018. Tourism and travel are becoming an increasingly influential sector in the Kingdom’s economic diversification strategy.”

He added: “For us at SalamAir, we continue to introduce more options when it comes to convenient and cost-effective travel. Our GCC network is expanding and we will continue with this strategy to meet the increased demand on these destinations for leisure and business travelers alike. Oman is a very popular destination for Saudis looking for short holidays and business travel and we are delighted to contribute in strengthening the relation between Oman and KSA.”

Today, the SalamAir network consists of 17 destinations including Muscat, Salalah, Suhar, Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Shiraz, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Dhaka, Alexandria, Kuwait, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

SalamAir recently became the first Oman-based carrier to receive the new Airbus A320neo aircraft making it one of the early Middle East recipients and operators of the highly rated model. In addition to the delivered aircraft, another five Airbus A320neo are expected to join SalamAir’s fleet in 2019. A cost-conscious menu of additional services is also available to guests, which includes extra luggage allowance, as well as seat and meal selection. — SG