Swissport said it handled the inauguration flight of Salam Air Cargo at Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Oman. 

The airport ground services and air cargo handling, with a GCC presence in the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said it has been providing ramp handling and passenger services to Salam Air in Muscat since 2018. 

“We are very excited to handle the first ever all-cargo flight of an Omani airline and support Salam Air in starting their cargo business. Swissport is ready to provide service excellence as required by the customer and provide any support needed to help drive Salam Air's growth,” said Ivana Meyer, managing director of Swissport in Oman.

The inaugural flight took place on October 27, 2022.

“Our successful partnership with Swissport in Oman led to the decision that they are the right partner to handle our cargo flights. We have full confidence that our extended collaboration which also includes cargo handling, will be a full success and support Salam Air's further growth,” says Mohsin Albalushi, director of ground operations at Salam Air.

Expanded air cargo operations

Salam Air expects to operate several cargo flights per week from Muscat to destinations such as Dhaka (DAC) and Chittagong's Shah Amanat International Airport (CGP) in Bangladesh, Mumbai (BOM) in India, Istanbul (IST) in Turkey, Khartoum (KRT) in Sudan and others. 

The Airbus A321, a passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted aircraft will provide a payload of up to 27 tons. 

It is the first-ever all-cargo aircraft used by an Omani airline. 

Salam Air, the first low-cost airline based in Oman, has been offering passenger travel to many destinations across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe since 2017. 

The airline has been growing significantly and continues to add new destinations for its passenger flights. 

The recent launch of a cargo business is a strategic move to further strengthen Salam Air's position. 

“Our globally recognized expertise in air cargo handling makes Swissport the partner of choice for Salam Air. This is an important moment to establish Oman as a cargo hub and our local team is proud to be a part of it," said Dirk Goovaerts, Swissport's Global Cargo Chair and CEO of Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

Swissport has been present in Oman since 2017.