26, February 2023:  Creating a new milestone in its network expansion strategy, Oman’s value-for-money airline SalamAir has announced direct flights to two new destinations Mashhad in Iran and Almaty in Kazakhstan. Mashhad is the third destination in Iran for the airline, with flights to Shiraz and Tehran already in its network, and Almaty is the airline's first entry into Kazakhstan.

Weekly flights from Muscat to Mashhad and Almaty are scheduled for starting from February 21 and 1st July 2023 respectively. These two routes serve a high demand for medical, business, and leisure tourism. The new flights will also offer convenient connections to the SalamAir network.

Speaking of the two new routes, Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said, “Iran has been one of the key focus markets for us, and we are pleased to launch the third destination to the country. The steady bilateral connection and strong cultural and economic ties between Oman and Iran have given significant momentum to our growth plans and enabled the route's success.

Speaking of the 2nd destinations, he added; This is our first introduction into Kazakhstan; the city of Almaty has promising passenger travel into Muscat, and we expect to carry both business travelers and holidaymakers between the two important cities. Oman and Kazakhstan recently agreed to have close bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, renewable energy, tourism, and food security too thus this route being mutually beneficial.” 

Mashhad

The holly city is the capital of Khorasan province in northeast Iran and the second largest city in the country, Mashhad is best known for the shrine of Imam Reza. Every year, millions of people visit the holy shrine considered the largest and most magnificent of its kind.. Mashhad is located 850 kilometers North East of Tehran and has a population of over two million. Mashhad is a tourist city with many hotels of various categories and many guesthouses for the pilgrims and tourists who come to this city from every part of the world. The city's climate varies with very cold winters, pleasant springs, usually mild summers, and beautiful autumns, and it's known for its delicious cuisine.

Almaty

Located near the gigantic Tian Shan Mountain range, Almaty in Kazakhstan is described as a magnificent city with surprises offering picturesque scenic views and luxury shopping experiences. Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth-largest country, extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains east on its border with China and Russia. Almaty is the old capital city of Kazakhstan and remains the financial as well as the cultural hub. Almaty means 'city of apple trees', and because of its relatively mild climate, it has a wide range of apple trees. The City of Almaty first came to global prominence as one of the many stops on The Silk Road, as traders crossed countries and continents to trade. Almaty is known for its major natural attractions such as the Kolsai Lakes, Charyn Canyon, and Altyn-Emel National Park.  It has wide tree-lined streets, numerous parks, and orchards amid a backdrop of mountains. Tourism is a key industry in Almaty and is a major source of foreign exchange earnings. It is also known for mountain hiking and river rafting in summer and skiing in winter. The weather and climate of the place play a major role in making or breaking any trip. 

SalamAir meets the nation's growing demand for affordable travel options and aims to generate further employment and business creation opportunities in various sectors in Oman. In a short span, SalamAir has grown in its operations and expanded its reach across the region, serving customers across a cross-section of society.

SalamAir flies to domestic destinations, including Muscat, Salalah, Suhar, Duqm, and Masirah, and international destinations to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah, Kuwait, Bahrain, Beirut, Sarajevo, Istanbul, Trabzon, Bursa, Baku, Almaty, Colombo, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Prague, Shiraz, Tehran, Mashhad, Alexandria, Khartoum, Multan, Sialkot, Karachi, Dhaka, Chattogram, Jaipur, Trivandrum, and Lucknow. SalamAir flies directly from Suhar to Shiraz, Salalah and Calicut, Trabzon, and Salalah to Calicut.