Oman’s low-cost carrier SalamAir says it has placed a formal request with multiple aircraft leasing companies to acquire 10 Airbus A320 aircraft.
On February 20, 2025, the nine-year old carrier said that in the face of increasing passenger demand there was a need to grow its fleet over the next three years.
SalamAir predicts that by adding the additional Airbus A320 aircraft the airline can meet its growth targets for the coming five-year period.
“Our return to our Low-Fare approach has been highly successful, with full aircraft and more demand than we can meet,” said Adrian Hamilton-Manns, SalamAir’s CEO. “Our expansion over the next 5-years requires more aircraft to enable us to develop more domestic and regional flights, and to introduce destinations that are currently unserved by airlines.
The SalamAir CEO said that the plans will help to “stimulate tourism” to Oman and ramp up growth in the sector.
“Our low-fare model is highly popular and our plans to add 10 additional aircraft over the coming 3 years is a response to the demand that we see for budget travel. We see other airlines attempting to move to this market due to the obvious demand that exists; this is positive as competition will reduce fares and benefit the consumer,” added Hamilton-Manns.
In 2024, SalamAir flew more than 3.2 million passengers, an increase of 20% from the previous year.
The surge in passenger numbers came as SalamAir refocused its sights on low ticket prices, which in turn sparked the demand for new aircraft.
According to ch-aviation, SalamAir’s current fleet consists of four Airbus A320neos, four A321neos and two A321LR. Two new A321neos are expected to join the fleet later this year.