Oman’s fastest-growing value-for-money airline, SalamAir launched its first direct flight to Sri Lanka on 25 November 2019 from Muscat to Colombo. Sri Lankan’s Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman O.L. Ameer Ajwad was invited as the guest of honour on board in the inaugural flight. CEO of the SalamAir, Captain Ahmed Mohamed piloted the first flight. A delegation consists of journalists representing different media organisations in Oman including national daily print and electronic media were on board in order to provide a media coverage of the arrival of SalamAir first flight to Sri Lanka. A grand welcome ceremony was organised by Sri Lanka Tourism at the Banadaranayeke International Airport (BIA) for the inaugural flight on arrival.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony at BIA, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad stated that launching of SalamAir to Sri Lanka has opened a new chapter in the long history of people to people connectivity between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman. Sri Lanka had become a popular destination among Omani people for tourism. The visit of Omani tourists to Sri Lanka is on the increase. Oman airlines operate 17 direct flights a week and Sri Lankan airlines operates 5 direct flights a week. Now with the SalamAir entering into the market, there would be a big boost for tourist arrivals. Frequent air connectivity reinvigorate people to people contacts which will also facilitate bilateral trade.
Ambassador for Sultanate of Oman to Sri Lanka Al-Sheikh Jumah Hamdan Al-Shehhi, CEO of SalamAir Captain Mohamed Ahmed, Regional Manager of SalamAir Waheed Al Bulushi and Chairman/MD of MAC Holdings (pvt) Ltd Andre Fernando who are the ground agents of SalamAir in Colombo, graced the occasion.
A large number of Sri Lankan Travel Agents participated at a reception organised by the MAC Holdings (pvt) Ltd later in the evening in honour of the visiting SalamAir inaugural flight delegation to Sri Lanka.
SalamAir flies to international destinations including Chittagong and Dhaka, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah and Riyadh, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Shiraz and Tehran, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Alexandria, Kuwait, Istanbul and to domestic routes Muscat, Salalah, and Suhar.
