flydubai, Dubai's innovative airline, has announced the start of its new route to Salalah, expanding its presence in the Sultanate of Oman. Flights to Salalah will begin on May 21, 2013 and operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. flydubai started operations to the capital, Muscat, in 2010. FZ093 departs Dubai Terminal 2 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 1620 hours, landing in Salalah Airport at 1820hrs local time. The return flight, FZ040, departs at 1920hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2130 hours local time. Round trip fares from Dubai to Salalah start at SR1000 and fares from Salalah to Dubai start at OMR 105. Fares include one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg and one small laptop bag or handbag. Checked baggage starts at SR50 ($14) for 20kgs. A seat with extra legroom costs SR100 ($28) extra. Flights between Dubai and Salalah can be purchased from flydubai's website (www.flydubai.com), its call centre (+9714 231 1000) or its local call centre (+9682 329 2183 / 84), and through travel partners. The new route expands flydubai's GCC network to 14 destinations, underlining the carrier's commitment to supporting business ties and leisure traffic between Dubai and the neighbouring region. Commenting on the launch of the new route, flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: “Oman was flydubai's third GCC destination, and we look forward to strengthening the relationship between the UAE and Oman by offering passengers a quality, affordable travel option.” Salalah, located on the Indian Ocean, is the second largest city in Oman. It is well known for its natural diversity as the vast coastline blends with the rocky mountains, offering a perfect location for the outdoor enthusiast. The annual Salalah Tourism Festival, which is held between July and August, welcomes more than 1.8 million visitors from all over the world. During these months, visitors enjoy cooler climate which sets it apart from the neighboring countries. “We are very excited about adding Salalah to our network. The two hour flight makes this popular city even more accessible and thanks to our convenient flight schedule, the new route will offer passengers a less stressful way to get to a perfect weekend getaway spot without the need for a long commute by car,” Al Ghaith added. — SG
