Reported by HPMM Group according to FINANCIAL TRIBUNE ;    Setting a strong pace for 2018, Muscat-based low-cost airline SalamAir has announced the launch of its first destination in Iran.

Starting Feb. 28, the airline will operate two weekly flights to Shiraz and back with ticket fares as low as OMR80 (about $208), Muscat Daily reported.

Tickets can now be booked on www.SalamAir.com, stated a press release. “Despite its increasing popularity as a medical and tourism destination, Shiraz has remained an under-served route for years with no direct flights from Muscat,” said Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir.

“In response to public demand, we have made it a priority in our 2018 plans and are confident that our guests will enjoy our affordable prices and convenient timings.”

Since its launch, SalamAir has kept a close eye on the market, analyzing demands and identifying emerging trends that have allowed it to remain competitive in the current economic climate.

This approach will see the airline launch two other Iranian destinations, namely Tehran and Mashhad, as well as routes in Asia. These ambitious plans will be supported by the addition of three aircraft to the SalamAir fleet in 2018.

SalamAir will be operating flights to Iran’s third largest city every Sunday and Wednesday departing from Muscat at 12.50 p.m. and arriving in Shiraz International Airport at 1.50 p.m.

Iran’s Kish Airlines was granted a license by Oman’s civil aviation authority last year to launch direct flights between Bandar Abbas and the Omani capital of Muscat.