Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, announced today that it has been recognised in two categories of the prestigious Annual Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) Awards.

The awards, which took place at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in Muscat, honour the most successful airlines and retailers operating at Muscat and Salalah’s international airports.

Air Arabia was honoured for the enormous success of its Salalah operations. The first award recognised the total number of passengers carried by Air Arabia to the popular Omani tourism destination in 2014, while the second marked the significant percentage growth in these figures over the past year.

Air Arabia was the first UAE airline to offer services to the city of Salalah when it began a weekly service in June 2012. Following strong passenger demand, within a year, it had increased operations to three flights per week.

Adel A. Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “Air Arabia is proud to have played a role in making it easier and more convenient for many more international passengers to visit this magical tourist destination on the shores of the Arabian Sea. The Sultanate is a key market for Air Arabia and we continue to increase flight frequencies and onward connections to provide ever greater levels of convenience to our customers flying to and from Oman.”

Air Arabia’s total coverage of the UAE-Oman route is 23 flights per week. It operates sixteen weekly flights between Sharjah and Muscat, in addition to its three weekly flights between Sharjah and Salalah, connecting passengers in Oman to more than 100 destinations worldwide. The airline also operates four weekly flights to Muscat from its second UAE hub in Ras Al Khaimah, offering passengers another great connection to the Indian Subcontinent and North Africa.

Salalah, which hosted the third edition of the Arab Aviation and Media Summit in 2013, is famous for its khareef season, and the Khareef Festival that many tourists await every year.