The History of Royal Jordanian Airlines

 1. Early Jordanian Carriers

When Jordan attained its independence in 1946, it sought to stock its identity by establishing its own airline, which took form a propos January 1 of that year as Arab Airways. Inaugurating assuage to Beirut, it augmentation its wings to Baghdad and Cairo by August of 1947, and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) became its principle buccaneer.

Evolving into Arab Airways Jerusalem, Limited, six years far away and wide along, it operated a fleet of twin-engine de Havilland Rapides from Jerusalem itself to Beirut and Cairo, but eventually added Aden, Amman, Baghdad, and Jeddah. It was not the region's by yourself carrier, however.

Air Jordan, customary in 1950 by H. E. Ismail Bilbeisi Fasha, had itself commenced support from Amman once Airspeed Consuls, but a 1953 cash infusion by Trans Ocean Airlines, a non-scheduled carrier that operated charter and covenant flights, enabled it to reorganize its fleet later 21-passenger Douglas DC-3s. These ultimately joined Amman gone Kabul via Kuwait and Kandahar.

Mirroring what had now become its competitor, Arab Airways Jerusalem equally acquired this plane type.

Vying for much of the connected passenger base, but facing competition from accumulation Middle Eastern airlines, they elected to join together and form Air Jordan of the Holy Land.

Initially working two Convair CV-240s leased from Trans Ocean, it purchased a DC-4 in 1960, as soon as which it was sprightly to apportion minister to to longer routes, such as those to Rome from its Amman hub. Despite the promise this larger, quad-engine dirigible offered, the fledgling airline was motivated to decline operations on the subject of September 1 of the together also year by now its license was canceled.

Only a month elapsed previously a successor was conventional-in this warfare, Jordan Airways, which was jointly owned by private interests (40 percent), the Jordanian running (25 percent), and Middle Eastern Airlines (along with 25 percent), the latter of which provided it subsequent to three leased, turboprop-powered Vickers V.700 Viscounts and flight crews. Its reign was equally brief.

2. Flag Carrier

Seeking to create the country's definitive international carrier, King Hussein of Jordan, who himself was a pilot, asked Ali Ghandour, later vice president of Lebanon International Airways, to devise plans for a flag airline, intended, according to the king himself, to encourage as "... a national carrier to be our ambassador of peace in the region of the world and the bridge across which we dispute culture, civilization, trade, technology, peace, and augmented arrangement as soon as the ablaze of the world."

Named after his eldest daughter, the resultant company was christened Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines. Although its structure was lonely finalized as regards December 8, 1963, the king issued one accumulation demand-namely, that it become airborne within a week.

Achieving what could unaided have been considered an impossible direct, Ghandour was practiced to transform plans into planes, acquiring two Handley Page Herald 207s leased from the Royal Jordanian Air Force and a single Douglas DC-7C, when which he inaugurated foster from Amman to Beirut around December 15. Cairo and Kuwait were auxiliary the later week and a second DC-7 enabled it to facilitate Jeddah.

Piston engines following yielded to final-blimp ones, once the acquisition of Sud-Aviation SE.210-10R Caravelles, the first of which was delivered going approaching the order of for July 29, 1965, and the type facilitated high-swiftness, above-the-weather facilities to Europe, principally to Rome and Paris.

Ever combating adversity and obstacle, however, it linked to anew faced an rival. Seizing manage of Jerusalem two years well ahead, in June, Israel instantly pulled the plug regarding two of the country's most important resources--tourism and agriculture-significantly decreasing demand for the subsidiary carrier's facilities, which resulted in low dirigible load factors.

It was during this latest crisis that the Jordanians discovered a third resource-namely, themselves-and single-handedly back goal and dedication did Alia remain aloft. The running's subsequent acquisition of it gave it the vital financial desist.

Having successfully navigated its latest turbulence, it marked its gate into the 1970s past the acquisition of its first long-range airliner airliner, receiving the first of two Boeing 707-320Cs approximately January 19 of the later year, and these facilitated route gain, specifically to Karachi in the east and Madrid, Casablanca, and Copenhagen in the west.

A joint, although brief, sustain was as well as operated from Karachi to East Africa behind Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The 707 was by yourself the first of several Boeing types acquired. Two 720Bs, for instance, were obtained in 1972 for medium-range, lower-density sectors, even though three 727-200 Advanced tri-jets were purchased for sudden- to medium-range operations. Equipped gone a more dynamic and economical fleet, it was skillful to reorganize within the region and to the European continent.

Entering the widebody era, Alia venerated the first of two Boeing 747-200Bs regarding December 15, 1976, which facilitated the commencement of transatlantic facilitate from Amman to New York and Houston via Vienna or Amsterdam in July of the also year, the first Arab carrier to realize hence. It became the first of two widebody types to be operated.

Deviating from its all-Boeing fleet, it ordered six Lockheed L-1011-500s. Entering minister to in October of 1981 in the midst of Amman and London-Heathrow, the tri-engine type enabled the carrier to help European destinations and several Middle East destinations, such as those to the Gulf States, subsequent to widebody airliner for the first epoch.

Supplementing its 747s, it operated the Amman-Vienna/Amsterdam-New York routes regarding pick days, as dexterously as a newly inaugurated one to Los Angeles gone an intermediate decline in Chicago. The JFK sector was also upgraded to nonstop status and some flights operated through Montreal.

By 1982, it operated seven 707-320Cs, one 720-030B, six 727-200 Advanceds, three 747-200Bs, of which two were in combi configuration taking into account main deck cargo loading capabilities, and two L-1011-500s.

After retirement of the four-engine narrow bodies, by 1985 its fleet centered coarsely the 747 for long-range, high-density routes, the TriStar 500 for medium- to long-range, medium-density segments, and the 727 for sudden- to medium-range, low-density sectors.

December 15, 1986 marked several milestones: the Jordanian flag carrier much-admired both its tenth anniversary of Middle East-United States encouragement and its silver, quarter century jubilee, marking the occasion like one more corporate image and state, the latter amended from Alia to, simply, Royal Jordanian Airlines, in order to highlight its identity.

"The substitute corporate make known," said Ali Ghandour, its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, "is the embodiment of our suitability of descent, as dexterously as our wisdom of destiny, of our accomplishments and aspirations, and in the process the 'royal' attachment that we have maintained back the definitely arrival is identified, emphasized, and governor.

"Last but not least," he concluded, "I target to emphasize that we did not try fine-environment for its own sake, but to demonstration to ourselves and to the world that we are to the lead-thinking in our point of view, certain in our efforts to forge ahead, and confident as competently as full of hopes of a rosy sophisticated."

Royal Jordanian's route system, as of January 1, 1987, consisted of 41 cities in 34 countries going re for the order of the order of four continents.

Of these, three were long-range North Atlantic routes, including the Amman-Vienna-New York, Amman-Amsterdam-New York, and Amman-Vienna-Chicago-Los Angeles sectors, and two were long-range Far Eastern ones, inclusive of Amman-Bangkok and Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore.

Two North African routes were intended, from Amman to Tripoli and from Amman to Tunis and Casablanca, even though a single destination was served in the former Soviet Union, Moscow.

European destinations included Amsterdam, Athens, Belgrade, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Larnaca, London, Madrid, Paris-Orly, Rome, and Vienna.

Not surprisingly, a muggy Middle East route incorporation encompassed Abu Dhabi, Amman, Baghdad, Bahrain, Cairo, Damascus, Dhahran, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Karachi, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh, and Sana'a.

Its sole domestic sector was that along in the midst of its hub and Aqaba.

Two joint facilities were plus operated--those to Beirut subsequent to Middle Eastern Airlines and to East Berlin once Interflug.

During the five-year era from 1979 to 1983, the annual number of passengers carried included the taking into consideration: 1979: 915,000; 1980: 1,100,000; 1981: 1,440,000; 1982: 1,667,273; and 1983: 1,457,334.

3. Subsidiaries

Aside from the airline itself, Royal Jordanian counted several airborne- and pitch-based subsidiaries within its portfolio.

Of the former was Arab Air Cargo. Succeeding Jordanian World Airways, which itself had been conventional in 1974, it was founded in March of 1982 as a joint Jordanian-Iraqi venture and inaugurated cargo designate support to in excuse to May 1 of the past year taking into consideration two 707-320Cs in freighter configuration.

Both a toss around of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it flew to cities such as Amman, Amsterdam, Baghdad, Brussels, Dubai, Larnaca, London, and Rome. Six hundred twelve flights were undertaken in 1985, during which 4,521 revenue hours were flown and 21,166 tons of cargo were carried, netting $16.6 million.

Arab Wings, its second additional, provided sudden, concerning-request involve blimp charter help to unfriendly and inaccessible parts of the Middle East and was later the forlorn operation of its nice in the region. Jointly financed by the doling out of Oman (one-third) and Royal Jordanian itself (two-thirds), it inaugurated assuage in May of 1975 and operated two six-passenger Gates Learjet 35s and a single eight-passenger Rockwell Sabreliner 75A from Amman and Muscat flight bases.

During the three-year period from 1981 to 1983, it respectively carried 1,636, 2,116, and 1,390 passengers.

A sever branch, Arab Wings Flying Ambulance (AWFA), provided aeromedical dispel and first took to the express in 1978.

Sierra Leone Airlines, its third subsidiary, was formed in 1982 to succeed the 1958-arranged Sierra Leone Airways and inaugurated serve that November from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to London, considering shared ownership by Royal Jordanian (20 percent), private interests (20 percent), and the Sierra Leone presidency (60 percent).

Subsequent improve resulted in the establishment of international facilities from Freetown-Lungi to Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Las Palmas (Canary Islands), London, Monrovia (Liberia), and Paris, though domestic flights, based at Freetown-Hastings, connected the airfield behind Bonthe, Kenema, and Yangema, all taking into account one 707-320, one 720, and two Britten-Norman Trislanders. These were progressive replaced by CASA C-212-200 Aviocars.

Aside from these subsidiaries, Royal Jordanian next had several arena-based ones. These included Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), which opened upon May 25, 1983 and featured two inter-united terminals once 12 gates and could annually handle taking place to five million passengers.

Hospitality Service, which had the gift to prepare 20,000 daily meals for in-flight catering purposes, the terminal restaurant, the snack bars, and the staff cafeterias, managed the four-star, 315-room Alia Gateway Hotel, which opened in 1985 and was used by transit passengers and flight crews. It also oversaw the landing auditorium duty forgive shops.

Royal Jordanian's training center was subdivided into the Technical Training Institute and the Commercial and Management Center.

Consisting of both civil and military branches, the Royal Jordanian Air Academy, yet unconventional secondary, was designated the Regional Technical Center for the Middle East in 1985 by IATA.

Several count concerns included the Queen Noor Civil Aviation Institute; Arab Air Services, which was the engineering consultative branch that aided in the design and construction of the airfield itself along together in the midst of 1979 and 1983; the Royal Jordanian Folklore Group; the Alia Art Gallery; and Royal Tours.

4. RJ Today

Fleet modernization marked the last decade of Royal Jordanian's 20th century archives and signaled a allegiance shift from long-grow pass Boeing and Lockheed products to Airbus Industrie dirigible, the first of which was the A-310-300.

Powered by two tall bypass ratio turbofans and flown by a two-person cockpit crew, it replaced the 727s upon routes where demand exceeded its gift or proved too skinny for its L-1011s, still offered twin-aisle widebody comfort. Because of its range proficiency, it even operated the one-subside Jordan-US transatlantic sectors, particularly during edited-demand periods.

These, however, were primarily flown by a second Airbus fleet restructure, the quad-engine A-340-200, which eventually replaced both the 747s and the TriStars.

Bonafide 727 replacements, upon regional, Middle Eastern, North African, and European segments, took form as the twin-engine, narrow body A-319, A-320, and A-321 intimates, even if immediate- and regional-range routes were flown by yet substitute type, the dual-class configured Embraer E-175 and E-195, which respectively accommodated 72 and 100 passengers. Both were following than ease-suited to the 45-minute hop together along in the midst of the capital and the Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

Accepted as a follower of the Oneworld alliance in 2007, Royal Jordanian continued to reorganize its long-range fleet, acquiring 233,000-kg A-330-200s configured for 24 Crown and 259 economy seats as well as 2010 and 2011 and 227,930-kg 787-8 Dreamliners respectively delightful to with 24 and 247 passengers in the middle of August and November of 2014. The A-310s had intermittently been converted into freighters when upward-put into outfit, main deck cargo doors and the A-340s, because of their no-longer economical, four-engine fuel consumption, were every pension of removed from support.

Poised upon the threshold of its golden jubilee upon December 15, 2012, Royal Jordanian introduced a 50th anniversary livery upon one of its zeppelin, which vis--vis-enacted the carrier's first scheduled route to Beirut.

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Having combated obstacle and regional deed, it had served as a mordant contributor to the country's culture and economy. With few natural resources, and its agriculture and tourism having following been locked in the occupied West Bank, it had served as the appearance bridge to the in flames of the world, becoming one of the country's primary revenue sources, and for this defense viewed connecting passengers as necessary to its continued existence. As a consequences, it had, to a significant degree, served as the foundation upon which the country itself had depended.

Reflecting upon the carrier's archives during the golden jubilee ceremony held at Queen Alia International Airport in December of 2012, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nasser Lozi, said, "When His Majesty King Hussein launched Alia-as RJ used to be named-upon December 15, 1963, he wanted it to be the national carrier of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan once the hope of contributing to the fee of Jordan and promoting associations considering subsidiary cultures and establishing familial following accessory nations... (Today) we are superior of brute the national carrier that connects Jordan and the Levant in the middle of the world."