Muscat National Development and Investment Company (Asaas) has announced that the country’s first budget airline will fly under the brand name ‘Salam Air’.

Homage to Oman’s deeply-rooted culture and long-standing history as an ambassador of peace, the name, which is derived from the Arabic greeting, is a result of a nationwide public poll conducted on the online social networking platform Twitter and Asaas’ corporate website.    

“From the get-go, we were adamant about involving the general public in the process,” explained CEO, Eng Khalid bin Hilal Al Yahmadi. A call for suggested names was announced on Twitter that received an overwhelming response in a short span of time. After internal discussions with Board Members and key government entities, eight names were shortlisted and a public poll was conducted that received close to 3,000 responses.

“While we understand that this is an unconventional way of naming an airline, we believe that integrating new modes of communication and outreach is the way of the future,” Eng Al Yahmadi said. “This is also a clear reflection of the way we do business. We are transparent and our approach is to be part and parcel of the community with all of our multi-industry projects.”

He said: “The beauty of the word Salam is that it is a homonym. It means safety which is of fundamental importance in the aviation industry but also peace, which characterises the quintessence of Oman as a progressive nation under the visionary leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.”

He added, “Part of our Arabic greeting, the word ‘Salam’ is also very well-known by people from around the world. It is simple, memorable and meaningful and that is exactly what we were looking for in a name.  I would like to convey my personal gratitude to each and every person who participated during the naming process of an airline that will redefine air travel as we know it.”

Asaas has identified tourism as a core sector that promotes economic diversification and is adopting an integrated approach that covers its entire supply chain, which includes transportation. With air traffic demand expected to grow by 40 per cent by 2019, Salam Air, Oman’s first low-cost carrier, is anticipated to fuel economic growth by providing access to economical and efficient means of transport and further advance the aviation sector in Oman. – TradeArabia News Service