Mohammed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, the Sultanate’s low-cost carrier, has said that his company, like other firms in the airline sector, has been gravely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic conditions. However, since SalamAir is a small company, it has been easier to manage the crisis, compared to major airlines in the region.
In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), Mohammed Ahmed explained that SalamAir returned 30 percent of its fleet and kept only six aircraft considered among the best in the region.
Over the past few months, SalamAir was able to operate 651 casual flights to 60 destinations to which the company carried more than 67,000 passengers. The flights eased, relatively, the losses of the company caused by lockdown on air travel locally and internationally in late March 2020.
Mohammed Ahmed welcomed the decision of the Supreme COVID-19 Control Committee on the partial opening of Muscat International Airport. He described the decision as “a good initiative that will help activate travel and tourism in the Sultanate”.
He pointed out that the Civil Aviation Authority has given permission for the first phase of operations, giving airlines an opportunity to operate two flights a week to some destinations. SalamAir will operate flights to all its former destinations, if accessible, he added.
Asked which destinations are likely to be of great interest to SalamAir passengers, Mohammed Ahmed mentioned Istanbul of Turkey, Shiraz of Iran and some GCC destinations like Dubai due to the deferment of the new school year to November 2020.
 He explained that the Sultanate is expected to see an influx of tourists from the GCC, even as the weather is turning moderate in Oman where tourism facilities are usually abuzz with GCC families during the cool season.
Mohammed Ahmed promised that his company will be highly dedicated to customer safety, which tops the list of its priorities. Fortunately, the company’s new planes are fitted with hi-tech ventilation systems, the latest of its kind in the world, said Mohammed Ahmed.
 “Not only that, SalamAir signed contracts with some of the most specialised international firms to keep its aircraft free from virus, microbes and germs. Any passenger who steps onboard will be confident that he is entering a highly hygienic aircraft,” said Mohammed Ahmed, who advised his passengers to stick to health instructions and maintain social distance when in airports.

SOURCE: TIMESOFOMAN