By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 3 September 2026 - Oman's low-cost carrier SalamAir launched direct flights between Muscat and Mogadishu on Thursday, opening a new air link between the two countries.
The new service operates twice a week and marks the first-ever non-stop connection between Oman and the Somali capital, SalamAir said.
A SalamAir aircraft arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Thursday, where the launch was attended by Somali government officials, airline representatives, businesspeople and representatives of the country's aviation and travel sectors.
Somalia's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Farah Nuuh, said the government was committed to expanding international air connectivity and providing passengers with more travel options.
He said the new route would make travel between Somalia and Oman easier and more affordable.
SalamAir said the route would provide travellers with onward connections through Muscat to destinations across the Middle East and Asia, while supporting business travel, commercial exchanges and stronger business ties between Oman and Somalia.
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Representatives of Somalia's aviation and travel industry welcomed the route, describing SalamAir as a low-cost carrier and saying its arrival would give passengers more options while adding competition to Somalia's growing aviation market.
Somalia's Deputy Foreign Minister of Affairs and International Cooperation Hassan Mohamed Ali said his ministry had worked on the initiative for nearly two years, highlighting the importance of international flights in facilitating travel and strengthening relations between the two countries.
The route was also welcomed by Somali business and political representatives, who said the new connection could help revive and expand longstanding commercial and tourism links between Somalia and Oman.
SalamAir, which describes itself as Oman's low-cost airline, began operations in 2017 and now serves more than 40 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.
The airline's launch announcement described Mogadishu as its third East African country in its network, after Kenya and Sudan, and said the new service was part of its strategy to expand into underserved markets.
The new route comes as Somalia seeks to expand international air connections and attract additional airlines to Mogadishu, while businesses and government officials seek stronger links with markets in the Gulf and beyond.