Sylhet, Sept 03 (V7N) — After an eight-year hiatus, a foreign airline has resumed regular international flight operations at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, with Oman-based SalamAir launching direct flights on the Muscat-Sylhet route.
A SalamAir flight from Muscat carrying 133 passengers landed at Osmani International Airport at 7:55am on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. After completing passenger formalities, the same aircraft departed Sylhet for Muscat at 9:23am carrying 224 passengers.
The development was confirmed by Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, director of Osmani International Airport.
To mark the resumption of foreign airline operations at the airport, SalamAir organised a cake-cutting ceremony and discussion at the airport’s VIP lounge.
Oman’s Deputy Ambassador to Bangladesh Fatiha Ahmed Al Balushi, SalamAir Chief Commercial Officer Steven Allen, the airline’s Managing Director in Bangladesh, M A Latif Shahriar Zahidi, and Osmani International Airport Director Hafiz Uddin Ahmed attended the event. SalamAir’s Sylhet Area Manager, Selim Al Razi, moderated the programme.
The return of SalamAir marks the end of a prolonged gap in regular international services operated by foreign airlines from Sylhet’s international airport.
Flydubai, based in Dubai, became the first foreign airline to launch international flights from Osmani International Airport on April 1, 2015. However, the airline suspended its Sylhet operations in September 2018.
Since then, no foreign airline had operated regular international flights from Osmani International Airport, creating a significant gap in direct international connectivity despite the airport’s status as an international gateway.
With SalamAir’s launch, passengers in Sylhet now have direct air connectivity with Muscat, one of the key destinations in the Middle East. The service is expected to provide greater convenience for passengers travelling between Sylhet and Oman, particularly members of the region’s large expatriate community.
According to SalamAir’s initial plan, three direct flights a week will operate on the Muscat-Sylhet route. The airline plans to increase the frequency to five flights a week from next month.
It further plans to operate the route daily from January 2027.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the development said several other foreign airlines, including Air Arabia and flydubai, may launch direct flights from Osmani International Airport by December this year.
The potential arrival of additional international carriers is expected to further strengthen Sylhet’s air connectivity with the Middle East and other international destinations.
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