SalamAir starts five weekly flights on Muscat-Doha route

SalamAir began its operations to Doha in Qatar on Wednesday. The airline now serves eight destinations, and it has plans to add four new routes in 2018. It will also add four A320 aircraft to its fleet in 2018.

Speaking to us on board the first flight to Doha, Eng Khalid al Yahmadi, chairman of SalamAir, said, “Four new destinations, including Bangladesh, are being planned in 2018. We are still discussing with third parties. We will be able to announce them once we are done with the discussions.”

He said that Doha is an important market for SalamAir. “Doha market is significant and promising for SalamAir. We are the first budget airline to fly to Doha and we hope to stand out significantly. He added that 2018 is expected to be better than 2017 in terms of business. “Because 2017 was our launch year, we expect 2018 to be much better in terms of business and market share. We are working hard now to get the market share and maximise it to feed our business. We hope to break even in four to five years,” Eng Yahmadi said.

The airline will operate five weekly flights from Muscat International Airport to Hamad International Airport offering guests convenient timing, affordable travel alternatives and connectivity to a wider network of destinations. Guests can now book their tickets on www.salamair.com.

Capt Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said, “Doha is a valuable addition to our continuously growing network of destinations. With the increasing air traffic and economic activity between Qatar and Oman, the demand for more convenient and affordable alternative is higher than ever.”

He added that the launch of this highly anticipated route is a significant step towards achieving SalamAir’s vision of increasing connectivity to thriving tourism and commercial hubs in the region. He said that SalamAir enjoys the advantage of flexibility which allows it to shift and adapt its services to cater to demand. The airline operates to destinations including Salalah, Sohar, Dubai, Medina, Jeddah, Sialkot and Karachi.