The government of Oman has acquired a 90% stake in SalamAir (OV, Muscat) from Muscat National Development and Investment Company, a consortium of parastatal entities. Muscat intends to retain the LCC as a separate carrier from Oman Air (WY, Muscat).

Transport minister Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali said in a statement carried by the Oman News Agency that the takeover will facilitate network and fleet coordination between the two airlines. The government will work to minimise the network overlap between SalamAir and Oman Air.

Al Maawali said the takeover should improve the "financial solvency" of both airlines.

The government revealed plans to acquire SalamAir earlier this year, but continued to insist that this would not lead to the merger of the airlines. More recently, Al Maawali said Muscat was evaluating options to launch a third airline, targeting the regional market, which could be incorporated as a subsidiary of either SalamAir or Oman Air.

SalamAir's fleet currently comprises six A320-200Ns, five A321-200Ns, one A321-200NX, and three A321-200NX(LR) aircraft. In turn, Oman Air's fleet includes eighteen B737-8s, four B737-800s, two B737-900ERs, and nine B787-9s.

According to ch-aviation schedules data, the two airlines compete directly on 16 routes out of Muscat, including the domestic service to Salalah, multiple services to other Gulf countries and India, as well as flights to Karachi International, Dhaka, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.