SalamAir has opened sales for direct flights between Muscat and Kigali, adding Rwanda to its Africa network as the low-cost carrier deepens its push into underserved routes with rising business and leisure demand.Flights are scheduled to begin on 21 July 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, with two weekly services operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One-way Lite fares start at OMR69.99, positioning the route as a budget link between Oman and East Africa at a time when both markets are seeking wider air connectivity.
The Muscat-Kigali service marks SalamAir’s entry into Rwanda and adds another African destination to a network that has been expanding beyond the Gulf and South Asia. The airline has framed the route as part of a strategy to connect Oman with high-growth markets where direct services remain limited, while supporting trade, tourism and people-to-people links.
Kigali has become one of Africa’s more visible business and conference destinations, helped by Rwanda’s investment in aviation, tourism, security, urban planning and meetings infrastructure. The city’s appeal rests not only on its role as the national capital but also on its access to wildlife tourism, including mountain gorilla trekking, national parks and eco-tourism circuits that have strengthened Rwanda’s global profile.
Rwanda’s tourism sector generated about $685 million in 2025, up from $647 million a year earlier, supported by 1.49 million visitor arrivals. The meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions segment contributed about $94.7 million, reflecting Kigali’s growing role as a venue for regional and international events.
For Oman, the new route fits into a broader effort to strengthen air transport under its economic diversification agenda. Muscat has been seeking to build its position as a regional aviation and tourism hub, while improving links with markets across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. A direct Kigali service gives passengers from Rwanda access to onward routes through Muscat and offers Oman-based travellers a shorter path to East Africa.
SalamAir, which began operations in 2017, operates a fleet of 15 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and runs more than 80 daily flights to 38 destinations. The carrier has said it aims to expand its fleet to 25 aircraft by 2028, following plans for 10 additional aircraft, giving it more capacity to pursue routes where low-cost travel demand is growing.
The Kigali launch follows other Africa-focused moves by the airline, including flights to Mogadishu announced earlier this year. That expansion indicates a calculated shift towards markets where direct Gulf connectivity can attract migrant traffic, business travellers, traders, students, tourists and government-linked travel.
Rwanda’s aviation ambitions add weight to the move. Kigali International Airport remains the country’s main gateway while work continues around the planned Bugesera airport project, which is expected to support larger passenger and cargo flows when completed. Rwanda’s economic planning has also placed transport infrastructure, tourism and services among priority areas, reinforcing the case for new routes.
SalamAir’s Chief Commercial Officer Steven Allen said Kigali was a natural addition to the airline’s African network, citing strong fundamentals across business and leisure travel. He pointed to Rwanda’s growth in tourism and business travel, and described Kigali as a modern gateway with culture, markets, historical sites and access to nature-based tourism.
The route is also likely to be watched by travel agents and tour operators seeking packaged traffic between Oman, Rwanda and wider East Africa. Affordable fares may help stimulate demand among price-sensitive passengers who would otherwise depend on one-stop routings through larger hubs.
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