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Oman’s low cost carrier SalamAir has established Salalah’s first airline base, unveiling new international routes to Saudi Arabia, India and Bangladesh that aim to reposition Dhofar as a year-round tourism gateway rather than a purely Khareef-season destination.
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Salalah Gains Its First Permanent Airline Base
Publicly available information from SalamAir’s press office shows that the new base at Salalah International Airport is the first time an airline has permanently stationed aircraft in the Dhofar governorate city. The move is described as a strategic milestone that strengthens direct international connectivity from southern Oman and supports the country’s broader aviation growth plans.
The operation will initially be built around SalamAir’s Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet, with the airline currently operating 18 aircraft across its network. The carrier indicates that having an aircraft based in Salalah will allow more tailored schedules for local travelers and better use of capacity during peak and off peak seasons.
According to the airline’s announcement on August 26, 2026, the Salalah base is part of a wider strategy to grow from multiple points in Oman rather than only from Muscat. The plan emphasizes serving underserved markets and stimulating new tourism and business flows into secondary cities.
New Routes To Saudi Arabia, India And Bangladesh
Reports on the new base indicate that SalamAir will launch it with three direct international routes from Salalah: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Calicut (Kozhikode) in India and Chattogram in Bangladesh. These destinations target large expatriate communities, religious travel and visiting friends and relatives traffic, which are key pillars for Gulf low cost carriers.
Flight bookings for the new services are scheduled to open on August 26, 2026, with operations planned to begin toward the end of October as part of SalamAir’s Winter 2026 schedule. Aviation trade coverage notes that starting the base in the winter season allows the airline to capture both year end holiday demand and the gradual shift of Salalah’s tourism offer beyond its traditional monsoon window.
SalamAir already links Muscat with multiple cities in Saudi Arabia and India, and its published network map shows a growing presence across the Indian subcontinent. Adding direct Salalah links to Jeddah and Calicut creates additional one stop options through Oman and deepens the country’s role as a connecting point between the Gulf, South Asia and the wider region.
From Seasonal Khareef Surge To Year-Round Tourism
Salalah has long been best known for the Khareef season, when the city’s hills turn green during the summer monsoon and visitor numbers surge. SalamAir data cited in press and industry reports highlights how the airline has repeatedly ramped up capacity on the Muscat–Salalah route in recent years, operating up to 15 daily flights at the height of the 2026 Khareef period and adding thousands of extra seats.
By converting this seasonal deployment into a permanent base, SalamAir is signaling an intention to help broaden Salalah’s visitor appeal beyond the monsoon months. The new routes are expected to support not only leisure travel but also visiting families, medical trips, trade links and religious journeys to and from Saudi Arabia and South Asia.
Industry analysis suggests that more stable, year round connectivity can encourage hotel and resort investment in Dhofar, as investors gain confidence that occupancy will not depend solely on a few peak weeks. The move also aligns with Omani government efforts, documented in recent economic and tourism reports, to position Salalah as a key node in the country’s diversified tourism portfolio alongside Muscat and the northern coastal region.
Strengthening Oman’s Aviation Strategy After State Acquisition
The Salalah base also comes in the wake of structural changes in Oman’s aviation sector. Earlier in 2026, official announcements confirmed that the Government of Oman had completed its acquisition of SalamAir, while stating that the airline would continue to operate as an independent low cost brand alongside full service carrier Oman Air.
According to these public statements, SalamAir is targeting a fleet of 25 aircraft by 2028, supporting expansion on both regional and medium haul routes. Establishing a new base outside the capital is consistent with this plan and reflects a broader Gulf trend in which low cost carriers open secondary hubs to tap localized demand and relieve pressure on primary airports.
Regional aviation commentary notes that SalamAir’s growing Saudi Arabia portfolio, including its Abha route launched in late 2025, is increasingly integrated with services to the Indian subcontinent. The Salalah base offers another platform for this Saudi–India bridge, with Jeddah and Calicut among the first destinations to be linked directly to Dhofar.
Implications For Travelers In Dhofar And Beyond
For residents and expatriates in Dhofar, the most immediate change will be the ability to reach Jeddah, Chattogram and Calicut nonstop from Salalah rather than connecting through Muscat or other Gulf hubs. This is particularly relevant for Bangladeshi and Indian communities in southern Oman, who frequently travel for work rotations and family visits.
Tourism stakeholders are also likely to benefit from improved inbound access. Travel industry coverage points out that SalamAir plans winter charter services from Kazakhstan to Salalah, using the new base as an anchor for these seasonal operations and tapping into Central Asian demand for warm weather destinations.
Looking ahead, analysts expect that the success of the initial three routes will determine how quickly SalamAir adds further destinations from Salalah. If load factors are strong, additional points in Saudi Arabia and India, or connections deeper into South and Central Asia, could follow, reinforcing Salalah’s role in Oman’s tourism and connectivity agenda.
For now, the opening of the base underlines how a city once viewed mainly as a monsoon escape is being recast as a year round air travel gateway, with SalamAir positioning itself at the center of that transformation.
SalamAir press release on Salalah base