(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Mohammad Shoeb / The Peninsula
SalamAir, Oman's first budget carriers, is on expansion spree. The newly-launched airline is set to receive at least three more aircraft to its fleet within six to nine months, taking the total fleet size of the carrier to 6.
This was revealed by Khalid Al Yahmadi, Chairman of SalamAir, at a press conference held at Hamad International Airport (HIA) to announce the arrival of its inaugural flights to Doha, the airline's latest destination.
'We started our operations with three aircraft, all A320s. SalamAir is working to expand its network and has plans to add three to four more aircraft by next year, Al Yahmadi told The Peninsula. He added: 'We are also in touch with some companies to lease some airliners to support our expansion plan. There are also some discussions with other airline companies, including Oman Air, for collaboration to enhance our network, which is growing fast.
Keeping in view the growing demand for affordable services, SalamAir has added Doha into its overseas destinations. It will be operating five weekly flights from Muscat International Airport to HIA. The new route will offer guests convenient timing, affordable travel alternatives and connectivity to a wider network of destinations.
Captain 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 a convenient and affordable alternative is higher than ever. The launch of this highly anticipated route is a significant step towards achieving our vision of increasing connectivity to thriving tourism and commercial hubs in the region.
Ahmed added that as a young airline, SalamAir enjoys the advantage of flexibility which allows it to shift and adapt its services to cater to demand. To date, all SalamAir destinations have been determined by what guests want and as a result, the airline operates successful destinations including Salalah, Suhar, Dubai, Medina, Jeddah, Pakistan's Sialkot and Karachi.
Ioannis Metsovitis, Vice-President Operations at HIA, said: 'We are pleased to welcome SalamAir to Hamad International Airport's network of airlines and to extend our best-in-class services and facilities to more passengers. HIA connects Doha to over 150 destinations; which gives the passengers more choice when they plan their journey and a seamless and unforgettable travel experience at HIA.
A home-grown airline, SalamAir is continuously looking for ways to connect other cities in Oman including Suhar and Salalah to its regional destinations. The airline is also planning to add four A320 aircrafts to its fleet in 2018 to meet the need of its expanding network of destinations. On his part, Rehan Ali Syed, Country-Head (Qatar) for Najm Travel, sales partner for SalamAir, noted that the number of travellers in both directions has increased over the past few months, and this direct flight, providing an affordable travel alternatives to passengers, will give additional boost to trade and tourism between Muscat and Doha.
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