Monday 20 / October / 2025
Salalah: Salalah Airport has welcomed the inaugural scheduled flight of the Italian airline "Neos," arriving from Rome via Milan. This marks the launch of a direct, regular air route between the two destinations, with one flight per week during the 2025-2026 winter tourism season.
This step reinforces the Sultanate of Oman's position as a distinguished destination on the global tourism map. The new route is a qualitative addition to the network of international destinations served by Salalah Airport.
Oman Airports confirmed that the launch of this direct route is part of joint national efforts to enhance Oman's air connectivity with various global markets and expand the international flight network. This supports the tourism and national economy sectors and contributes to attracting more visitors to the Dhofar Governorate during the winter season, which sees increasing demand from European tourists.
This direct route is expected to boost the local economy and enhance the tourism sector in the Dhofar Governorate, opening new horizons for tourism and investment cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Italy.
Haitham Mohammed Al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, explained that this step is the result of joint cooperation between the Ministry, Oman Airports, and a number of relevant authorities.
This collaboration, he said, has culminated in strategic partnerships with international airlines such as Switzerland's "Edelweiss" and Italy's "Neos."
He indicated that work is underway to attract more airlines to strengthen the position of Dhofar Governorate as an integrated tourist destination.
He added that the opening of this direct route from Milan to Salalah reflects the extensive efforts to increase the number of direct international flights to the governorate. This responds to the growing demand from the European market, particularly the Italian market, to visit Dhofar during the winter season, thanks to its moderate climate, stunning nature, and unique cultural and heritage experiences.
He pointed out that the Italian market witnessed a 48% growth in the number of tourists arriving in the Sultanate of Oman during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, reflecting the increasing interest in this distinguished tourist destination.
Neos Airline is one of the Italian airlines belonging to the Alpitour Group. Founded in 2002, it has since become one of the leading airlines for tourist destinations worldwide, operating flights to more than 60 destinations and 183 global airports from its four hubs in Milan, Verona, Rome and Bologna.
