Royal Jordanian

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian Turns 45

For the last four decades, this leading company has continuously progressed, living up to its role as the country's only flag carrier, maintaining its identity, history and culture. RJ still performs this role, under the invaluable guidance and directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, who spares no effort in lending his support to the airline. Thus, RJ continues its strides by renewing its fleet and expanding its route network and operations.

Comparing the results of the first year of its establishment and those estimated for 2008, it can be seen that the number of passengers increased from 87,000 in 1964 to an estimated 2.7 million at the end of this year. The number of flights grew to reach 34,254 this year, in comparison to 4,193 in 1964. Moreover, the number of aircraft rose from four to 28, and RJ's destinations from five to 57.

Financially, the company's revenues were JD1m in 1964, expecting them to reach JD682m in the 2008fiscal year. A large increase could be observed in employees' productivity, from JD4 in the year of establishment to JD159 per employee this year.

Privatization program:

Royal Jordanian was transformed into a public shareholding company fully owned by the government on February 5, 2001. Its capital rose to today's JD84.4m.

In December 2007, the Jordanian government floated 59.9 million shares for underwriting, representing 71% of the total issued share capital, keeping 29% of the shares. RJ shares started trading on the Amman Stock Exchange on December 17, 2007. At that time, Jordanians owned approximately 56.2% of the shares; Arab and foreigner investors owned the rest.

Fleet modernization program:

RJ employs 4,300 people in Jordan and at its outstations around the world, distinguished through their professionalism and expertise. They operate a modern fleet of 28 aircraft covering 57 destinations on four continents. The RJ fleet includes: Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A340, Fokker 28, Embraer 195s, Embraer 175s and Boeing 737 aircraft.

To date, Royal Jordanian concluded the modernization program of its short- and medium-haul fleet, having replaced the leased Airbus A310 and A320 aircraft with six modern, newly manufactured Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft for the short- and medium-range route network.

Additionally, RJ introduced seven newly manufactured 100-seat Embraer 195 and 75-seat Embraer 175 aircraft in order to operate on the short-haul routes, to meet the growing demand for travel in the region. It introduced some of these aircraft on capital lease basis, which will end in these aircraft being owned, and some on operational lease basis. They joined the fleet during 2007 and 2008.

The airline selected the wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner as a replacement aircraft for its long-range Airbus A340s and A310s operating to the United States, Canada and the Far East. It placed its order to introduce about 12 Boeing 787s under the airline's long-haul fleet modernization program.

The first B787s scheduled to join the fleet in 2010 are being delayed until the beginning of 2013, a Boeing decision. Negotiations are going on with Boeing to compensate RJ for this delay.

Locally, Royal Wings, an RJ subsidiary company, is dedicated to charter business, operating from Amman Civil Airport in Marka.

Route network:

Networkwise, the airline opened new services to Hong Kong and Kiev in 2008 and it will add Brussels next April. The new stations brought the airline's destinations to 57, spread over four continents. In order to cater to the demand, RJ is considering expanding its route network by adding new destinations during the coming three years to: Tehran, Ankara, Casablanca, Algiers, Berlin, Benghazi, Johannesburg, Lagos, Medina, Luxor and Izmir.

Royal Jordanian currently has marketing alliances, through code sharing, with several international airlines: Austrian Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, Iberia, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Tarom, Gulf Air, Syrian Airlines, Yemen Airways and Thai International.

Joining the oneworld airline alliance:

In view of its reputation and international level of competitiveness, Royal Jordanian was invited to join the oneworld airline alliance. RJ is thus the first Arab and regional air carrier selected to join any of the three global airline alliances (oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance), and the first airline to join oneworld in the last five years.

The airline officially joined oneworld on April 1, 2007, after it completed all technical and technological requirements to become part of the grouping.

RJ's, Japan Airlines' and the Hungarian Malev's membership in oneworld represent 9,000 daily flights operated by ten airlines to more than 700 points in 150 countries. The oneworld member airlines operate 2,500 aircraft, carrying around 320 million passengers yearly. They attain annual revenues reaching $100bn.

Automated systems:

To meet all the requirements of its membership in the oneworld global alliance, RJ introduced several advanced, state-of-the-art systems to link up with the oneworld airline members; the most significant are the frequent flyer program (Hitit), the revenue management system (PROS) and the revenue accounting system (Sirax).

Other IT systems were also implemented to make it easier for passengers to deal with all travel procedures, like e-ticketing, Internet booking, advanced boarding pass and Common Use Self Service check-in system (CUSS), and a new Departure Control System. The airline launched a new 24/7 Call Centre, which offers RJ customers from all over the world reservation services, information regarding the frequent flyer program, flight schedules, luggage and ticket fares. Royal Jordanian provides competitive ticket prices and valuable offers to give wider choices to passengers.

Awards:

Royal Jordanian won five world-class awards, four of which are granted to the air transport industry and one national. It was awarded the Merit Award for the Airline Turnaround of the Year 2006 at the 3rd Annual Asia Pacific and Middle East Aviation Outlook Summit, held by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in Singapore on Nov. 9 and 10, 2006. The award acknowledges the airline's successful turnaround and strong strategic contribution to the aviation industry.

On February 21, 2007, Air Transport World (ATW), the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry, presented RJ with the Phoenix Award at the 2007 ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards in Washington. ATW's awards are of great significance to the international civil air transport.

Royal Jordanian was granted the 'Airline of the Year 2007' award, following a study performed by Air Finance Journal. The award is given once a year to the most distinguished and financially efficient airline worldwide. The Journal mentioned that the achievements of the airline over the last few years were a polestar to all observers of the air transport industry.

RJ was nominated the winner of the Airline Strategy Award in the technology category at the sixth annual Airline Strategy Awards organized by Airline Business magazine on July 15, 2007. It won the award in recognition of its major overall transformation from an unprofitable carrier to a lucrative commercial enterprise through the deployment of modern technology solutions.

The awards acknowledge that RJ has gone through a major transformation. After years of losses, Royal Jordanian changed its business model to focus on traffic within its home market, helping it return to profitability while nearly doubling in size in 2004 and 2005.

The airline also won King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in the large service organizations category. The award is considered the most prestigious reward for excellence at national level, for all sectors.

http://www.ameinfo.com/178596.html

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian's 'You're there' marketing campaign launched

Royal Jordanian launched its new campaign, 'You're there', on December 15, 2008, coinciding with its 45th anniversary.

Vice President/Marketing, Sales and Services Hussein Dabbas said that launching the campaign under this slogan complements the occasion the company is celebrating, both reflecting the airline's long history of progress and prosperity in all fields: fleet, route network, air and ground services, and IT systems which facilitate travel procedures and offer passengers multiple, easy, simple and fast travel options.

He added that the campaign follows RJ joining the oneworld airline alliance which enlarged its route network to cover 56 direct destinations and more than 700 cities on four continents, served by the member airlines of oneworld alliance.

The airline officially joined oneworld on April 1, 2007, after it completed all technical and technological requirements to become part of the grouping.

Dabbas noted that this campaign comes after the one titled 'Change is in the Air', which has been going on for the past two years. RJ underwent many changes and that has had a great positive impact on all services the company provides, especially entertainment. He said that these changes affected customers' loyalty, RJ becoming the first choice for many who travel from Jordan and the Middle East to countries and cities around the world. This is shown by the large increase in the number of passengers traveling on board RJ aircraft in 2007 and this year.

'The objective behind the 'You're there' campaign is to reposition RJ as a world class airline capable of meeting the expectations of the local, regional and global traveler,' said Dabbas.

'A progressive attitude, with more daring communication, needed to be enforced. So we based our campaign on the consumer perception that whenever people travel, whether for business or pleasure, there is always a sense of excitement and glamour. This feeling comes from the idea of meeting new people, seeing places and being part of future events,' he added.

Dabbas said that the campaign is created around the idea that travel is a journey of the heart, mind, body and soul. 'We show this by highlighting the changes that have taken place, such as modernizing the fleet by introducing new aircraft equipped with the best entertainment amenities and services, which reached a high level of development, tailored to become almost personal,' said Dabbas. This approach promises the customers the concrete benefit of getting them where they want, emotionally and physically, since the moment they think of traveling until they reach their destination, he added.

The campaign was first launched through local media and newspapers; it will now move gradually to the various media to reach countries covered by the Royal Jordanian Airline on four continents.

http://www.ameinfo.com/179041.html

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian signs OnAir deal to offer mobile and internet services

Royal Jordanian and OnAir signed an agreement whereby RJ, a oneworld member, will provide passengers with OnAir's inflight internet and mobile phone services, including email, SMS and voice calls, the first airline in the Middle East to offer such facility.

President/CEO Samer Majali who signed the agreement with OnAir CEO Benois Debains said that the OnAir service will enable Royal Jordanian passengers to use their mobile phones and BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive text messages and emails, and to make and receive mobile phone calls in flight, as well as to use their laptops to access Internet.

He indicated that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted airworthiness certification to OnAir, testifying that neither Mobile OnAir system nor multiple mobiles cause harmful interference to any of the aircraft's avionics systems.

Majali pointed out that phase one of the agreement stipulates installing the system by the Airbus company in two Airbus A319 that will be joining the fleet in February and March next year. The second phase of the agreement includes implementing the Mobile OnAir Service on the airline's single-aisle A320 family, installed with a standalone GSM/GPRS system at the end of 2009.

Passengers will be able to use their own mobile phones during flights, above 3,000 meters, whereas during take offs and landings, the service will not be operative.

Majali added:

'Mobile OnAir will allow unlimited text messages and emails to be sent, and will allow up to 11 simultaneous voice calls. A central feature of the service is the crew's ability to turn it off at any time, or switch it to 'silent' - text and email only - mode, enabling the airline to customize the services to passengers' preferences. For example, airlines could turn off the voice element, or even the whole service, during quiet times.'



He also said that the Mobile OnAir Service is one important move that will pave the way for airline mobile self-care services. This will allow the passenger to check the flight status, do his check in, view his itineraries and manage bookings, such as changing flights, selecting seats, requesting upgrades, booking bags and selecting meals. Additionally, it offers passengers information about their destination.

'Royal Jordanian is at the forefront of e-travel. This includes providing passengers with the ability to plan trips, book online, issue e-tickets, make online seat reservations and use self check-in kiosks at the airport. We are now pleased to offer the latest technology: on board communications services, enabling our passengers to carry on with their travel planning, as well as to communicate with their colleagues, friends and families, in exactly the same way they can on the ground,' commented Majali.

Debains, said:

'We are very pleased that Royal Jordanian has selected us. It will be the first airline in the Middle East to introduce OnAir's leading passenger communications service and will enable the airline to further enhance its passenger service level in a highly demanding market. It confirms OnAir's role as the leading supplier of passenger communications with customers in Europe, Asia Pacific, China and now the Middle East.'



'To be able to operate this service, OnAir signed roaming agreements with the world's mobile operators, among which three Jordanian mobile operators: Zain, Orange and Umniah. The service is invoiced by the passenger's home mobile operator at international roaming rates,' he added

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, and SITA, the world leading provider of air transport focused applications, communications and IT infrastructure.

Present at the ceremony were RJ Vice President/Marketing, Sales and Services Hussein Dabbas, Chief Information Officer Ahmad Abu Ragheb, Head of Engineering and Maintenance Imad Faraheed, Head of Procurement and Logistics Department Samer Abdel Rahim, Executive Assistant/Legal Affairs Hani Kurdi and Project Director Mohammed Obeidat.

http://www.ameinfo.com/179486.html

[superstar436]

Royal jordanian has improved alot since becoming a privately owned company.
You can only evaluate a good from a bad company only until you have a problem and see what they will do and how they will do it, but it is much better than egypt airline who should be banned from flying period.

[yazm1991]

oneworld turns 10

As part of Royal Jordanians commitment to its airline alliance Oneworld it announced at the alliances 10th birthday celebrations on the 3 February 2009 that it would paint its new A319 due for delivery in mid February in a special scheme, which would be based around the oneworld name and logo. This is the first special colour scheme Royal Jordanian will ever have, marking a huge event for both the airline and its alliance.

Its still unsure what the special scheme will look like, however it is believed that this is the one that RJ will choose...

[lealfonse]

23 February 2009
Passengers now able to make and receive phone calls, send and receive emails and text messages--from 30,000 feet.

The Royal Jordanian launched mobile inflight passenger communications services from industry leader OnAir that will enable passengers to make and receive phone calls, send and receive emails and text messages.

The new commercial service, which will be available in the first phase on its recently received Shobak A319 aircraft (named after Shobak city, in southern Jordan,) flying to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and India, will enable passengers to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive text messages and emails, make and receive phone calls and access the Internet.

Passengers will also be able to access the Internet using their own laptops fitted with GSM data cards.

'Royal Jordanian has always been a leader in e-travel-from providing passengers with the ability to book online to issuing e-tickets, making online seat reservations and using self check-in kiosks at the airport,' said Samer Majali, President and CEO, Royal Jordanian.

'We are very pleased to partner with industry leader, OnAir, to offer the latest passenger communications technology onboard our aircraft, and we expect these new capabilities to further enhance the high-quality customer service that our passengers have come to expect from Royal Jordanian.'

Mobile OnAir uses the industry's most robust and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites. With OnAir's advanced mobile communications technology, Royal Jordanian passengers will benefit from global coverage and high-speed connectivity.


Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said Royal Jordanian operates in a highly competitive and demanding market, in which service excellence is critical. "They were the first airline in the Middle East to announce a partnership with us back in December 2007, and we are pleased to offer the highest available standard of connectivity to their passengers, while at the same time helping them generate additional revenues".

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian recieves 3rd Airbus A319.

RJ, member of oneworld airline alliance, on Feb. 22, launched mobile inflight passenger communications services upon receiving the new Airbus A319, equipped with OnAir mobile services.
The new commercial service enables RJ passengers to stay connected while in flight, using mobile phones to make and receive calls, exchange text and multimedia messages. It also allows passengers to send e-mails and access the Internet through smartphones or any other mobile phone equipped with the GPRS service.



RJ President/CEO Samer Majali said that “the new Airbus A319 aircraft, named after Al Shobak city, in southern Jordan, was received on Feb. 21 and is dedicated to serving the European and Middle Eastern destinations, North Africa and India. It is the first RJ aircraft equipped with its own miniature cell network, so that onboard phones communicate at minimal power levels, which do not compromise flight safety. A satellite link then transmits signals to and from the ground.”
Majali added that next month, the company will introduce another Airbus A319 with Mobile OnAir services, which will be generalised later on all the Airbus 320 fleet, which includes Airbus A320, A321 and A319 aircraft.
Majali said the service becomes active about ten minutes after take-off and remains active until about ten minutes before landing. Special overhead signs and cabin crew announcements will let the passengers know when they may turn on the mobile devices or suspend their usage in order to maintain the comfort of passengers.
With Mobile OnAir, the phone is used exactly as on the ground, by dialling 00 followed by the country code of the destination number. Communication is automatically invoiced by the passenger's mobile provider at home, at international roaming rates, as the aircraft is considered a “foreign country” in the sky.
Majali stressed that Royal Jordanian has always been a leader in e-travel — from providing passengers with the ability to book online to issuing e-tickets, making online seat reservations and using self check-in kiosks at the airport.
"We are very pleased to partner with industry leader OnAir to offer the latest passenger communications technology onboard our aircraft, and we expect these new capabilities to further enhance the high-quality customer service that our passengers have come to expect from Royal Jordanian," he said.
OnAir CEO Benoit Debains noted: “Royal Jordanian operates in a highly competitive and demanding market, in which service excellence is critical. It was the first airline in the Middle East to announce a partnership with us, and we are pleased to offer the highest available standard of connectivity to its passengers, while at the same time helping it generate additional revenues.”
He added that Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most robust and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites. With OnAir’s advanced mobile communications technology, Royal Jordanian passengers will benefit from global coverage and high-speed connectivity.
Debains commented that 80% of passengers who have used Mobile OnAir services on selected flights would like these services to be available on every flight. Mobile OnAir services have been used on flights to more than 56 cities in 24 countries in Europe and North Africa since December 2007.

http://www.rj.com/tabid/59/locale/en...spx?itemid=176

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian Announces New Route

On June 1, Royal Jordanian will start operating a direct, regular, twice-weekly service between Amman and the Libyan city of Benghazi.

It thus puts the destination back on its route network after around 30 years of suspended service. Benghazi was among the first Arab cities RJ began serving after its establishment in the 1960s.

Operating flights to Benghazi comes in light of the growing traffic of Jordanian and Libyan citizens between the two countries. There is remarkable and active traffic of businessmen and students, and many Libyans come to Amman to get medical treatment.

Royal Jordanian responded to this active travel between Jordan and Libya by also increasing the frequency of flights between Amman and Tripoli from three to four weekly, starting April 1.

Benghazi will be the second new destination RJ adds to its network this year; Brussels is the first one, and the airline will also resume its flights there as of April 1. Along with these two destinations, RJ directly operates to 58 destinations spread on four continents, and more than 700 destinations with one stop served by oneworld's airline members, of which RJ is part.

The flight takes off from Amman on Mondays and Fridays at 12 noon and arrives in Benghazi at 2:05 pm local time. It takes off from Benghazi at 3:05 pm and arrives in Amman at 6:45 pm local time.

Benghazi lies in northeastern Libya, on a gulf of the Mediterranean Sea. It has 1.5 million inhabitants and is the second largest city in Libya after Tripoli, the Libyan capital, which lies 1,000 km west from Benghazi.

Important industries include oil refining, cement manufacturing, tanning, sponge and tuna fishing, and food processing such as dates and olives.

Benghazi airport lies 32 km to the east of the city, and connects the city with some foreign cities, as well as with major cities in Libya.

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian Recives 4th Airbus A319


This fourth and final A319, brings RJ's fleet to 31. Including

PASSENGER AIRCRAFT
3 - Airbus A310's
4 - Airbus A319's
5 - Airbus A320's (one operated by Royal Wings)
4 - Airbus A321's
4 - Airbus A340-200's
1 - Airbus A340-600 (Jordanian Government Use)
5 - Embraer 195's
2 - Embraer 175's

CARGO AIRCRAFT
2 - Airbus A310F's
1 - Boeing 737F

ON ORDER/LEASE/OPTION
8 - Boeing 787 (Order/Lease)
4 - Boeing 787 (Option)
12 - Embraer 195 (Option)

The New A319 named after the Jordanian city Ajloun, has 110 seats. 14 in crown class, 96 in economy class. This new A319, is fitted with RJ's new cabin and AVOD system called "Sky Cinema". The aircaft also has been fitted with the new On-Air mobile services, which allows passengers to use their mobiles during the flight as if they were on ground.

New RJ Cabin. This cabin has been in service seen late 2006.


Picture By : Matthew Lee - Contrails Aviation Photography

As part of Royal Jordanians commitment to its airline alliance Oneworld it has painted this new aircraft in a special colour scheme which is based around Oneworld and its logo. As seen below...

[yazm1991]

Queen Alia Airport Statistics 2008

QAIA wistnessed a growth of 16% in passengers in 2008. Bringing the total passnegers to travel through Jordan's largest airport to just under 4.5 million.

Year Total passengers
2002 2,334,779
2003 2,358,475
2004 2,988,174
2005 3,301,510
2006 3,506,070
2007 3,861,100
2008 4,477,800

Royal Jordanian which is based at QAIA is also expected to record its largest amount of passngers in 2008, with early reports suggesting approxmately 2.7 million passengers. Which would mark a huge improvement for the airline which only five years prior was struggling to reach 1.5 million passengers.

But it is still believed (not confirmed) that the airline will record a loss in year prior, due to high fuel prices and the World Economic Crisis, which had an effect on all industries.

[Phevos]

Great Growth in 2008, hope it remains positive for 2009...

[Thunderbolt]

Like the One World logo on the 319. Well done RJ.

[sam_18]

I flew to Beirut on Royal Jordanian 2 times and i had a good impressions about it,quality services

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by sam_18

I flew to Beirut on Royal Jordanian 2 times and i had a good impressions about it,quality services

Royal Jordanian is a really good airline, i personally believe that its the third best in region.

(This is how i rank Middle-Eastern Airlines, on my experiences alone)

1. Qatar
2. Emirates
3. Royal Jordanian
4. Gulf Air
5. MEA
6. Saudi
7. Etihad (only tried them once, and was very dissapointed)
8. Oman Air

And i believe if RJ improves its Long Range aircraft just a little more, it may become a 4 Star airline.

[lealfonse]

AMMAN (JT) - With the addition of a new Airbus A319, Royal Jordanian (RJ) has completed its modernisation programme of short- and medium-haul fleet.

The new Airbus, named after the northern city of Ajloun, marked the 19th newly manufactured aircraft added to the fleet since 2006, according to an RJ statement released on Monday.

RJ President/Chief Executive Officer Samer Majali expressed satisfaction with the completion of the initiative, which saw the introduction of four Airbus A321s, four Airbus A320s, four Airbus A319s, five Embraer 195s and two Embraer 175s into the airline’s fleet.

The company's strategy for 2009, he stressed, entails modernising Airbus A340s currently servicing long-range destinations by providing them with uniformed amenities offered passengers onboard other new aircraft.

Majali pointed out that last year RJ modernised three of its Airbus A310 aircraft that serve long- and medium-range destinations at a cost of JD10 million, revamping all aircraft parts, interiors, entertainment systems and engines.

Majali noted that the company is still studying and comparing several alternatives to modernise its long-range fleet, in light of last year's announcement that Boeing delayed its delivery of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is scheduled to join the fleet in 2010.

In 2006, the airline placed its order to introduce some 11 Boeing 787s under the airline's long-haul fleet modernisation programme.

Majali added that "Ajloun" is dedicated to serve medium-range destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent and is the airline’s second to provide mobile OnAir services.

The services enable RJ passengers to stay connected while in flight, using mobile phones to make and receive calls, exchange text and multimedia messages.

By the end of the year, the company will apply OnAir services on the entire Airbus 320 fleet, which includes 12 aircraft, according to the RJ statement.

The Royal Jordanian fleet now consists of 30 aircraft operating to 55 direct destinations and additional 700 destinations served by RJ’s partners in the oneworld Airline Alliance.

[lealfonse]

U know I thought they will purchase 8 boeing 787 instead of 11. But it seem they are going to modernized the long-range fleet including the Airbus A340 Fleet.

[yazm1991]

They are actually planning to 12 787's. But they havent reached a final agreement with boeing for the last one.

I think its good that they want to replace the A340's, because by the time the 787's get delivered they would have aged, and wouldnt be very efficent (fuel wise).

[Lamb0]

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian considers Boeing compensation deal

Royal Jordanian which has ordered 12 Boeing 787's is facing a major issue, with continued delays of the first delievery of its new long-haul aircraft by more than 25 months. The airline has been forced to place a new stragety into place, due to the huge delay.

At the moment RJ has said it will go ahead with one of the following strageties to compensatate for the delay.

1. Reach an agreement with Boeing to lease 4 Boeing 777's.
2. Reach an agreement with Boeing/Airbus to lease 5 Airbus A330's. or
3. Upgrade their A340's with the new RJ cabin, which includes AVOD for economy class passengers.

However all three options are very costly, and the decision is a very hard one for an airline expected to post a $3 million loss in 2008, due to high fuel prices during the first three quarters of the year prior.

I personally wouldnt mind seeing any of the three options exercised, as RJ needs to upgrade their long-haul aircraft slighty to really compete, with some other airlines.

[yazm1991]

Royal Jordanian inaugurates flights between Amman and the Belgian capital, Brussels today.

Thus resuming service between the two countries after six years during which flights were suspended for commercial reasons.
President/CEO Samer Majali said that putting Brussels back on the RJ route network is driven by commercial reasons, too. Studies of the market indicated that it is feasible to reconnect Jordan and Belgium.
Majali added that re-operating this route also comes in light of the open skies policy signed by the two countries in July last year, which grants them the 3rd and 4th freedom rights to operate between Amman and Brussels directly and with unlimited frequencies.

Majali pointed out that the airline will serve this route twice weekly, on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The flights are bound to stimulate relations between Jordan and Belgium and facilitate transportation of businessmen and goods, as Brussels is a significant commercial centre in Europe. Moreover, it will serve the Jordanian and Arab communities residing in Belgium, and will boost tourism in both countries.
The airline will operate to Brussels using the Airbus A319s, recently added to the fleet. Two of the Airbus A319 aircraft provide mobile OnAir services, enabling RJ passengers to stay connected while in flight, using mobile phones to make and receive calls, exchange text and multimedia messages. The service also allows passengers to send e-mails and access Internet through smartphones or any other mobile phone equipped with the GPRS service.

The Belgian capital is one of the first cities RJ flew to, as a direct route, in 1974. Brussels, with its over one million inhabitants, serves as the capital of the European Union, hosting major political institutions of the union.

Benghazi is the second destination RJ will operate to this year. The company will start servicing the route starting this June, bringing the airline’s direct destinations to 56, spread over four continents, in addition to other 700 destinations served by RJ’s partners in the oneworld airline alliance.

www.rj,com