Oman's SalamAir has announced plans to launch direct flights to seven new destinations worldwide, with the most prominent new route being to Bahrain. Aside from Bahrain, SalamAir plans to start operating flights to the following destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Almaty International Airport (ALA) in Almaty, Kazakhstan
• Riga International Airport (RIX) in Riga, Latvia
• Yenişehir Airport (YEI) in Bursa, Turkey
• Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) in Baku, Azerbaijan
• Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) in Beirut, Lebanon

[SLL,BAH],[MCT,KUL],[MCT,ALA],[MCT,RIX],[MCT,BEY],[MCT,YEI],[MCT,GYD],[MCT,SJJ]

SalamAir's route between Salalah International Airport (SLL) in Oman and Bahrain International Airport (BAH) in Bahrain was highly anticipated because of the Khareef season. 

Khareef is the region's monsoon season that turns desert landscapes into greenery between June and September. This time of year is popular with tourists from neighboring countries that want to escape the summer heat. Temperatures in large parts of the Gulf region are usually above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer.

The weather in Oman's Dhofar Governorate - the region where Salalah is located - consists of fog, overcast skies, and temperatures that are around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). These conditions make southern Oman an appealing destination for tourists.
 

SalamAir has become Oman's fastest-growing airline due to the affordable fares that it offers as a low-cost carrier. The airline offers nonstop flights to cities in Oman, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the Middle East. SalamAir's largest hub is Muscat International Airport (MCT) while Salalah functions as a focus city.

SalamAir currently has a fleet consisting of ten aircraft, with six Airbus A320neo aircraft and four Airbus A321neo aircraft. The airline ordered six E195-E2 jets from Embraer last October, which are expected to be delivered starting later this year.

Oman's other airline is Oman Air, which also uses Muscat as its main hub. The airline offers flights to many more destinations and has a larger fleet of 50 aircraft. Oman Air's fleet consists of aircraft ranging between the Airbus A330, Boeing 737, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner families.
 

The service between Salalah and Bahrain will start on July 5. It is currently unknown when service to the other seven destinations will start.

SalamAir's CEO Mohamed Ahmed said, "We are proud to announce the launch of a new nonstop flight route between Salalah and Bahrain during the Khareef season, in response to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's direction to the concerned authorities to provide direct subsidies on fuel prices at Salalah Airport, equivalent to fuel prices at Muscat International Airport."

Ahmed also spoke about how nonstop flights between both countries will support the tourism sector and help Oman achieve the goals outlined in its Vision 2040 plan. 

Vision 2040 is a roadmap for moving Oman's economy away from the reliance on fossil fuels through the development of new industries, such as tourism. Similar diversification strategies have also been implemented in other countries in the Gulf region, with the most prominent example being Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia.