logo
SalamAir extends suspension of flights to these destinations

SalamAir extends suspension of flights to these destinations

Times of Oman4 days ago

Muscat: SalamAir has announced the continued suspension of its flights to and from Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan until June 30, 2025, due to the ongoing situation in the region. The airline confirmed that passengers transiting through Muscat International Airport with final destinations in any of these three countries will not be accepted for travel from their original point of departure until further notice.
The airline has urged all passengers to update their contact information via the 'Manage Booking' section on the SalamAir website to ensure they receive timely updates regarding their flights.
SalamAir stated that it is closely monitoring the developments and will resume operations to these destinations once conditions allow.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US will use "unbelievable force" if Iran tries shutting Strait of Hormuz: Ex-US Treasury official
US will use "unbelievable force" if Iran tries shutting Strait of Hormuz: Ex-US Treasury official

Times of Oman

timean hour ago

  • Times of Oman

US will use "unbelievable force" if Iran tries shutting Strait of Hormuz: Ex-US Treasury official

Washington DC: United States' former Treasury Department official and a terror finance analyst, Jonathan Schanzer has warned that America will respond with "unbelievable force" if Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. His comments come in the wake of recent US airstrikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Iran's main enrichment location for uranium enrichment to 60 per cent. "Any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz right now will be met with probably unbelievable force from the United States. Now that this has started, it's not that difficult to imagine the French or the Brits coming in to clear the lanes... I see the Iranians as being absolutely suicidal if they go down this route, and I do get a sense that we could be at a pivotal moment here. It doesn't mean that Iran won't try to attack, but I think asymmetrically is much more likely than through conventional means," Schanzer said. Commenting on the scale of damage inflicted on Iran by the joint US-Israeli strikes, Schanzer suggested that the Iranian regime has suffered irreparable losses but remains defiant. "There is no coming back from this for the (Iranian) regime. They've lost their entire air force, they have lost their air defences, they have lost their nuclear facilities. There is not much to operate with right now, other than asymmetric attacks and whatever is left of their missile arsenal. We'll wait and see whether the Israelis sustain strikes or the United States sustain strikes. But this is a regime that appears defiant, despite the president's assessment that they are effectively a spent force," Schanzer said. The terror finance analyst also expressed serious concern about potential retaliation from Iran, especially through non-conventional methods, including the threat of sleeper cells within the US. "I am concerned about asymmetric attacks here in the United States, sleeper cells in particular... Because this (Iran) is the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism, they have the means, they have the will, they've got the capabilities. If they choose to attack the United States, they certainly can do so," he said. On President Donald Trump's address following the strikes, Schanzer said his remarks was unusually short and that it might be premature to declare success. "It was a very short speech. I think his (US President Trump) assessment of the success of those strikes may be a bit premature... Donald Trump is calling for Iran's full and complete capitulation, a complete surrender, and right now, I'm not sure that the (Iranian) regime is prepared to do that. If you look at the statements coming out of the regime right now, they are threatening to strike America, in response," Schanzer said. After Northrop Grumman-made B-2 Spirit bombers struck nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, Trump, in his first public remarks, warned that he could order further action if Tehran does not agree to a satisfactory peace agreement. In his address to the nation from the White House on Saturday (local time), Trump said, "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days." In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be a tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." Trump also thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said, "I want to thank Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel." He went on to praise the military minds involved in the operation. "I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done and, most importantly, I want to congratulate great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States' military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope so." Top brass of the American political leadership stood beside Trump as he delivered the remarks, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

Khareef season officially begins today
Khareef season officially begins today

Observer

time11 hours ago

  • Observer

Khareef season officially begins today

SALALAH, June 20 The Sultanate of Oman officially welcomes the start of its annual Khareef Dhofar Season in Dhofar Governorate today — a unique climate phenomenon in the Arabian Peninsula that transforms the southern region of the country into a lush green paradise between June and September each year. Extending from the coastal town of Dhalkout in the west to Mirbat in the east, the season is driven by southwest monsoon winds that bring light rains, mist and cooler temperatures to the Dhofar mountains and plains. This natural shift turns the rugged desert landscape into verdant valleys, making Dhofar one of the most sought-after summer destinations in the Gulf. As visitors from Oman and abroad flock to the region, the country's civil aviation sector has announced full operational readiness across all airports and airlines to ensure smooth and safe travel to Salalah, the administrative centre of Dhofar. Oman Airports, Oman Air, SalamAir and the Civil Aviation Authority are coordinating closely to manage increased air traffic, introduce more daily flights and expand services during peak weeks in July and August. Oman's hospitality sector is also stepping up. More than 100 licensed hotels and resorts in Dhofar — offering over 8,000 rooms — have launched summer packages and upgraded services. Leading resorts like Al Baleed Salalah by Anantara and the Hawana Salalah complex are reporting near-full bookings, with expanded capacity and family-friendly activities. Apartment and villa operators, including local investors, are also playing a growing role in the sector, supported by digital platforms and regulatory tools such as the 'Sikka' rental initiative, which protects tenant and owner rights while boosting the short-term rental market. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion is deploying inspection teams and awareness campaigns to ensure a safe and competitive retail environment for tourists.

Oman's development project funding soars by 72% to OMR11bn
Oman's development project funding soars by 72% to OMR11bn

Times of Oman

time15 hours ago

  • Times of Oman

Oman's development project funding soars by 72% to OMR11bn

Muscat: Significant progress has been reported in implementing the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan (2021–2025), which aligns with Oman Vision 2040, the Ministry of Economy said on Saturday. Development project funding has surged by 72 percent to OMR11 billion compared to the initial OMR6.4 billion approved at the start of the implementation of the plan. This significant growth follows the completion and launch of numerous infrastructure and economic diversification initiatives across various service and social sectors. These efforts are supporting the Vision 2040 goals of comprehensive, balanced development by upgrading public services, improving infrastructure, and enhancing investment in all governorates. According to the Ministry, 95% of the plan's 412 strategic programmes are already underway, spanning 14 national priorities and covering all the key pillars of the vision. The Ministry said that all programmes related to the youth development priority have come into force. These programmes aim to govern and regulate the youth sector, enhance youth participation, and develop capabilities and skills of youth. All the three programmes implemented focused on governance, youth engagement, and skill development. All the programmes under the health priority segment like building hospitals, enhancing health coverage, and digital transformation are being implemented. The ministry further said that under the education and scientific segment 65 of the 70 programmes are active and include capacity building, governance reforms, career guidance, and innovation promotion. In the citizenship, heritage and culture segment 43 of the 45 programmes have been launched. These focus on tourism data systems, national talent training and international cultural events. In the social welfare segment 25 of the 26 programmes are operational and these include housing support, disability-inclusive festivals, sports promotion and social insurance sustainability efforts. The ministry further said that under the Economy and Development segment 152 programmes are underway, 98% of which are already being implemented. These include in areas like advanced urban services, community organisation roles in housing, land development for investment, and decentralised economic management. All the 17 programmes targeting the private sector, investment, and international cooperation are ongoing featuring loan guarantees, SME growth programmes and cost optimisation in the oil and gas sector. Under the information and communications technology (ICT) priority, all the 20 programmes related have come into effect. This includes the national digital economy strategy, smart city networks, cyber awareness campaigns and digital upskilling programmes. The flagship initiative 'Makeen' has trained over 8,200 Omanis through 126 sessions and set the groundwork for Oman's future tech talent hubs. Under the economic leadership and management priority, all the six associated programmes are currently being implemented. These include developing a more advanced and efficient public finance management system, establishing a national registry for government assets, creating an empowered and effective body responsible for coordinating economic decisions and preparing a national policy guide, and updating economic legislation to stimulate activity and enhance competitiveness. Additionally, 60 out of 62 programmes under the economic diversification and financial sustainability priority have entered the implementation phase. They include initiatives such as empowering startups in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, expanding national data centre and government cloud services, strengthening innovation and operational efficiency in public institutions, unified global software licencing management, reviewing government service fees, monitoring the performance and competitiveness of the logistics sector, and maximising local value in transport, communications, and IT projects. Other notable initiatives include support for national industries and Omani products, modernisation of financial legislation in the mining sector, updating the Mineral Resources Law, promoting investment in mining, developing a digital mining platform, enhancing local company and SME participation in the energy and mining sectors, and advancing digital transformation in government services. Regarding the labour market and employment priority, 17 out of 18 programmes are being implemented. These focus on drafting the National Employment Strategy, improving labour policies and legislation, implementing an effective nationalisation (Omanisation) mechanism, rolling out replacement-linked training initiatives, offering specialised entrepreneurship programmes in cooperation with relevant agencies, and cultivating a culture of empowerment for national talent in the energy and mining sectors. Under the Sustainable Environment pillar, a total of 56 programmes have been outlined, with 95% (53 programmes) already in implementation. These include key initiatives such as updating environmental policies and legislation, sustainable biodiversity management, a national strategy for chemical and agricultural soil conditioner management, regulation of pesticides and fertilizers, enhancement of palm productivity, the establishment of a national environmental monitoring and control system, development of a national environmental information system to support decision-making, and programs to support fishing vessels and equipment. In the governance and institutional performance segment, 54 programmes are aligned with its priorities. As of the first quarter of 2025, 87% are in execution. Notably, 13 out of 14 programmes in the legislative, judicial, and oversight areas have been launched—covering anti-corruption, public fund protection, oversight capacity-building, governance of national resources and projects, and improving civil aviation security in line with international standards. Within the public administration governance segment, 34 out of 40 programmes are currently active. These include ensuring governmental compliance, evaluating governance in state-owned enterprises, and developing legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks for the telecom and IT sectors. Other ongoing efforts include establishing a national innovation and change management system, an innovation lab for performance improvement, integration of e-government services, performance measurement systems, and upgrading the infrastructure and technical support for national networks. Regarding development projects currently being implemented during the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the Ministry of Economy said that notable progress has been made. In the infrastructure sector segment, Phase 1 of Sultan Haitham City is 80% complete, with Phase 2 at 45% completion. 25% of the structural planning for Greater Muscat, Salalah, Nizwa, and Haima have been completed. In the road sector projects indicated varied completion rates: Khasab–Daba–Lima road at 40%, Adam–Thumrait dualisation at 32%, Al-Amirat's Al-Joud Street at 79%, Dhofar's Darbat tunnel at 90%, Sultan Qaboos Street dualisation in Salalah at 81% and various other road projects ranging from 20% to 86%. In the social services sector, construction of health facilities is progressing strongly: Sultan Qaboos Hospital (Salalah) is 58% complete, Madha Hospital 86%, Suwaiq Hospital 77%, and other facilities such as Wadi Bani Khalid, Samail, Falah, and Namah Hospitals are progressing between 3% to 82%. The new Infectious Diseases Lab has reached 91% completion. In the education sector, 69 new schools are being built across the Sultanate, with an average completion rate of 50%. In the commodity production sector date palm weevil eradication has reached a completion rate of 80%, palm seedling productivity at 95%, desert locust control at 90%, agricultural and fisheries development at 59%, and animal disease surveillance at 95%. Fishing port infrastructure upgrades are ongoing and the completion rate includes Daba Port (86%), Kumzar Port (45%) and data preservation in the oil and gas sector and smart monitoring of mineral output are also underway. Finally, in the productive services sector, major projects are nearing completion: the Oman Botanical Garden (95%), municipal service improvements in Dhofar tourist areas (95%), coastal development in Shuwaymiyah and Taqah (20%), and multiple urban promenade and tourism marketing initiatives all contributing to enhanced service quality, tourism appeal, and housing aid delivery, with some projects like the housing assistance program achieving 92% completion

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store