DUBAI - Omani budget airline SalamAir is on track to carry 1.3 million passengers this year and expects to more than double that figure to 3 million in 2020, its chief executive said on Monday.

SalamAir, owned by Omani government pension funds and the Muscat municipality, was launched in 2017, competing against state carrier Oman Air.

Chief Executive Mohamed Ahmed said the airline was filling around 85% of seats on its fleet of seven Airbus A320 jets, which are a mix of current model ceo and new model neo variants.

The airline carried 800,000 passengers in 2017 and previously said it was targeting to carry 1 million passengers this year.

SalamAir is close to breaking even this year and could turn a profit in 2020, Ahmed told reporters at a conference in Dubai, citing benefits of current fuel prices and some of its rivals dropping capacity on certain routes.

 

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by David Evans) ((Alexander.Cornwell@thomsonreuters.com;))