MUSCAT, August 20, 2026 – A sport that involves enjoying flights over Oman‘s stunning scenery has been abruptly halted in the country following a tragic accident in Salalah, where a brother and sister lost their lives. As a result of this tragedy, the authorities decided to temporarily suspend all powered paragliding immediately.
The Oman Air Sports Committee (OASC) said on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, that all the activities related to powered paragliding in all the places of the country should be stopped until further notice. The ban is applied to all kinds of powered paragliding and is started as a result of consideration of the events after the accident.
The names of the people who died were announced. They were Captain Ahmed bin Hamdan Al Kalbani and his sister. However, nothing has been said about the reasons for the fall and its circumstances.
The timing of the incident intensified the tragedy. Only a few days before, from August 12 to August 17, 2026, Dhofar hosted a week-long event called Air Sports Village, organised by the OASC in association with Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The programme consisted of aerial displays and activities such as gliding, kite flying, and drone displays during the busy tourist season in Salalah.
Powered paragliding, or paramotoring, refers to a lightweight paraglider wing combined with a motor, which facilitates launching and flying. The technology used gives freedom to the pilots; however, it also means that the risk of the machine’s malfunction is high, and thus importance must be given to the condition of the equipment, weather, skill of the pilot, and regulations to perform operations successfully.
At present, Oman is taking a cautious approach rather than a more reckless one. The duration of the nationally imposed ban on all flying activities in Oman remains unclear, with the OASC asking all pilots, flying clubs and aviation enthusiasts to scrupulously observe the order until authorities complete their investigation of the situation and the safety rules of the sport.
The skies above Salalah may be wonderful—but following the accident, they are banned for a certain period of time.
