12 Feb Interview With Adrian Hamilton-Manns, CEO of SalamAir, Oman
Oman’s Vision 2040 strategy positions aviation and tourism as core pillars of national diversification, aiming to grow airport traffic from around 14.5 million passengers in 2024 to 50 million by 2040. How would you assess Oman’s value proposition as a tourism destination?
Oman is an undiscovered gem. For a lot of people who feel they’ve been overwhelmed by mass tourism in other locations, Oman is very different. It has a natural and traditional approach — unlike the glitz and bling you might find in other locations. So, its value proposition is different but very high.
SalamAir is Oman’s first low-cost airline. It was founded in 2017 and has grown quickly. Can you introduce SalamAir to our readers and provide an oversight of its potential?
SalamAir is the only low-cost airline based in Oman. Our value proposition is that we are a value-based airline. We always offer low fares and an easy travel experience. That model has been adopted very well by our customers, who enjoy the airline.
We fly to over 40 destinations and are the largest domestic airline. We have a diverse route network that includes Europe, Africa, the subcontinent and more. Currently, we have a fleet of 15 aircraft, which we will grow to 25 aircraft over the next three years. Our passenger volume at the moment is 4.5 million, but we’re going to double that number to reach 9 million passengers within four years. We cater to a mixture of connecting and point-to-point travelers; 70% of our passengers are point-to-point.
We are expecting quite a large rise in inbound tourism to Oman, especially out of Europe, which will be our focus. What’s required to make that happen is diversification away from Muscat. Muscat and Salalah are beautiful locations that are well developed, but there are so many interesting places in Oman, such as Sohar to the north and beautiful Masirah Island, both of which we fly to, and Ras al Hadd, which doesn’t have an airport but should.
You have focused a lot on underserved routes to power SalamAir’s growth so far. How will your strategy evolve in the next chapter?
Traditionally, airlines go after the same markets, and we fly to Doha, Dubai Jeddah — everybody has to, you can’t argue around that. But our approach is to explore alternative solutions. For example, we fly to Almaty in Kazakhstan and have recently launched Vienna in Austria and Medan in Indonesia. We will also have about five destinations in Africa soon.
We are focusing on routes that are unserved or where there is no connectivity between them at the moment. We can develop new routes more easily than other airlines can as our cost base allows us to be exploratory. For instance, with Nairobi, we started with two flights a week and have now increased to four a week, plus we’ve launched a second route out of Kenya from Mombasa. This is possible because low fares stimulate travel, and a low-cost base allows us to be optimistic and opportunistic in our approach. It has worked well. There are lots of other opportunities for us, with Eastern Europe being one high-potential target. There’s emerging demand from that region for travel to places that are warm, sunny and safe — and that’s Oman.
We don’t do a huge amount of brand advertising — our biggest advert is our fare. For example, it is $23 to fly from Muscat to Salalah, and about $100 to fly to Nairobi. It is all about low fares and high volume, which has resonated very well. When we introduced the $23 fare to Salalah in October 2024, there was a massive step up in demand.
SalamAir has built a strong reputation for its locally led service, which is a major differentiator in the Gulf region’s competitive aviation landscape. What digital innovations are SalamAir rolling out to enhance customer experience?
In the next 12 months, there will be huge changes technologically and digitally that will reposition the airline. For instance, we’re pushing online check-in to move away from physical choke points at airports. Passenger freedom and empowerment are going to be the key to our technological investments.
The airline also promotes local talent. It has launched targeted hiring and training drives recently and collaborates with national training bodies and the Ministry of Tourism to empower young Omanis and support the Oman Vision 2040 strategy’s human capital goals. How would you assess the country’s current talent pipeline and how is SalamAir helping close critical skill gaps in the sector?
The critical skill gap is the biggest challenge we face. We have a very well-established development program for pilots, where we take them all the way to captain, and we’re doing the same thing now for maintenance and engineering capabilities. The other points of development are commercial functions around marketing and sales — there is a scarcity of skills in that area, and so we’ve had to rely heavily on foreign expertise and translating that into local training.
We are also hiring people from outside of the airline industry — we are hiring for attitude and training for skills. We are taking people from different and diverse backgrounds and teaching them how to operate in an airline environment. For example, our Omani head of marketing came from the United Nations. Oman has had only two airlines since 2017, so there is not a great expanse of knowledge, we have to train people up.
SalamAir is a regional leader in sustainable aviation. Its entire fleet is made up of next-generation Airbus NEO aircraft, reducing per-passenger emissions by up to 60% versus regional averages. It also plans to adopt sustainable aviation fuel as soon as local production ramps up. How else is the airline aligning with the country’s global decarbonization efforts and promoting more sustainable aviation practices?
We are fully compliant with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation requirements, and we are a carbon-neutral airline. Being very conscious of our carbon footprint, we do everything digitally so we don’t use paper, we are fuel-efficient and we have a modern fleet. By having greater seat density, we are 20% more efficient than other carriers because have more people on similarly sized flights. As a result, our carbon footprint is less than those of most other value-based airlines.
How important is the US market for tourism in Oman?
Oman has positioned itself as a friend of the US, as a friend of everybody, in fact. With our safety standards and the certifications that we have, we are an airline of choice for US travelers, because they are very smart travelers and saving money is a smart approach.
What kinds of opportunities exist for international partners and investors looking to support the growth in Oman’s aviation and tourism sectors?
There are huge opportunities. Oman is at the entry level of tourism at the moment and there is a major drive to expand the sector. There are so many things that you could do in Oman — it is a magnificent open field of opportunities. Salalah is Oman’s jewel in some ways, but so many other areas are gorgeous. For instance, Bar al Hikman — which our latest plane is named after — is the most beautiful part of the world and often referred to as the Maldives of the Middle East. It is only a 45-minute flight from Muscat to Masirah Island, which is just across from Bar Al-Hickman. It is untouched beauty. Ras Al Hadd, where all the turtles go to nest, is equally stunning.
There is massive potential for developing more experiences, but Oman is never going to be a mass-tourism destination. It will be more targeted development from beginning to end.
You became CEO of SalamAir in June 2024 after nearly three decades of global airline leadership, known for launching top-performing low-cost carriers and digital-first strategies in Central Asia and Australasia. What’s your vision for SalamAir over the next five years?
My vision is that SalamAir will have a fleet of around 40 aircraft and an exceptionally dynamic, easy-to-use product. I envision it becoming the best airline in the Middle East, as ranked by both Skytrax and whatever other metric you choose. SalamAir is going to be a showcase of what Oman can do, and its low fares will enable 14 million people a year to come to the country.
I urge people to come to Oman. It’s an undiscovered opportunity for tourism and business that is incredibly safe, has great values, amazing culture and people — it’s one of the best countries in the world.