Aqaba, Sept. 17 (Petra)– Dina Mahadeen – King Hussein International
Airport in Aqaba on Thursday received the first flight from Riyadh,
marking the launch of a regular air route operated by Royal Jordanian
Airlines.

The arrival was attended by Prince Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Nasser
bin Farhan Al Saud, CEO and Vice Chairman of the Liajlehum
Association for Serving Persons with Disabilities and Chairman of the
Arab Council for Accessible Tourism.

The airport’s Director, Mohammad Al-Sarayreh, and the Aqaba Special
Economic Zone Authority’s Tourism Director, Salam Al-Malki, welcomed
the flight alongside representatives of security agencies, relevant
airport authorities, and other officials.

The new service marks a step toward strengthening direct air
connectivity between Aqaba and regional markets and supporting
inbound tourism to the city and the Golden Triangle.

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Al-Malki said the
authority continues its efforts to open new tourism markets, focusing
on regional and neighboring markets to boost tourist arrivals to
Aqaba.

She explained that launching direct air routes connecting Aqaba with
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would facilitate tourists’ access to the city
and enable them to explore the tourism attractions of Aqaba, Wadi
Rum, and Petra as part of the Golden Triangle itinerary.

Al-Malki added that promotional campaigns are continuing in
cooperation with Royal Jordanian and the Explore Jordan application,
in partnership with the private sector, particularly the hotel
industry and the National Water Carrier Project.

She noted that work is underway to develop integrated tourism
packages covering arrival services, accommodation, and a variety of
tourism experiences.

These efforts aim to promote Aqaba as an integrated tourism
destination for visitors to the Kingdom and strengthen its position
on the Arab tourism map, while expanding air travel options from
regional and international markets.

The year-round operation of the new flights will expand direct travel
options to Aqaba and support the tourism sector’s efforts to attract
new markets, in line with initiatives to develop tourism products and
enhance the city’s competitiveness as an integrated tourism
destination.

For his part, Al-Sarayreh said the arrival of the first flight on the
Riyadh–Aqaba route represents an important step toward strengthening
the city’s air connectivity network and supporting tourism arrivals.

He told Petra that the achievement resulted from a shared vision and
intensive coordination among the Aqaba Special Economic Zone
Authority, Royal Jordanian, the National Water Carrier Project, and
relevant partners.

The airport has recently undergone extensive infrastructure
development and improvement works to enhance its readiness to receive
multiple flights simultaneously, enabling the provision of
high-quality services to passengers, reducing response times, and
raising service standards in accordance with the highest benchmarks,
he added.

Al-Sarayreh said the new flight schedule includes the operation of
the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi routes, with two flights per week each
throughout the year.

The Moscow route is scheduled to launch on October 25, with two
flights per week, while air traffic on the Cairo route will be
increased to three flights per week.

He noted that the year-round operation of these routes would help
reduce the seasonality of tourism activity and support a sustainable
flow of tourists and visitors to Aqaba throughout the year,
benefiting various sectors linked to tourism.

//Petra// MF