OMAN: October 18, 2018. NordWind Airlines has launched a twice-weekly direct service between Moscow and Oman's Salalah International Airport.

Passengers (right) on the first of these direct charter flights from Moscow arrived to coincide with the beginning of the monsoon season in Dhofar, which is expected to run until April.

Salim bin Awadh al Yafei, deputy CEO of Salalah Airport said, “The airport has completed its preparations in cooperation with our strategic partners [the] Ministry of Tourism to welcome Nordwind Airlines. Our preparations are in line with the plans to receive more than 5,400 tourists from Russia to Dhofar during the winter tourism season, making it the first charter flight from Moscow.”

NordWind Airlines operates 32 aircraft and is Russia's eight largest airline. "The new route has been launched to Salalah through the airline's largest aircraft fleet where 164 passengers were on the Nordwind flight to Salalah Airport,” Al Yafei added.