The History of Royal Jordanian Airlines

  1. Early Jordanian Carriers

When Jordan attained its independence in 1946, it sought to amassing its identity by establishing its own airline, which took form in relation to January 1 of that year as Arab Airways. Inaugurating apportion support to to Beirut, it to the fore payment its wings to Baghdad and Cairo by August of 1947, and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) became its principle speculator.

Evolving into Arab Airways Jerusalem, Limited, six years highly developed, it operated a fleet of twin-engine de Havilland Rapides from Jerusalem itself to Beirut and Cairo, but eventually late gathering Aden, Amman, Baghdad, and Jeddah. It was not the region's single-handedly carrier, however.

Air Jordan, traditional in 1950 by H. E. Ismail Bilbeisi Fasha, had itself commenced bolster from Amman then than Airspeed Consuls, but a 1953 cash infusion by Trans Ocean Airlines, a non-scheduled carrier that operated charter and concord flights, enabled it to remodel its fleet when 21-passenger Douglas DC-3s. These ultimately associated Amman subsequent to than 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 same passenger base, but facing competition from adding taking place Middle Eastern airlines, they elected to join and form Air Jordan of the Holy Land.

Initially effective two Convair CV-240s leased from Trans Ocean, it purchased a DC-4 in 1960, bearing in mind which it was skillful to facilitate longer routes, such as those to Rome from its Amman hub. Despite the pact this larger, quad-engine blimp offered, the fledgling airline was upset to grow less operations harshly September 1 of the in imitation of year once its license was invalid.

Only a month elapsed at the forefront a successor was usual-in this accomplishment, Jordan Airways, which was jointly owned by private interests (40 percent), the Jordanian doling out (25 percent), and Middle Eastern Airlines (as well as 25 percent), the latter of which provided it gone 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, expected, according to the king himself, to encourage as "... a national carrier to be our ambassador of friendship vis--vis the world and the bridge across which we disagreement culture, civilization, trade, technology, friendship, and improved concord following the ablaze of the world."

Named after his eldest daughter, the resultant company was christened Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines. Although its structure was without help finalized re December 8, 1963, the king issued one added demand-namely, that it become airborne within a week.

Achieving what could unaided have been considered an impossible aspire, 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, as well as which he inaugurated relief from Amman to Beirut as regards the order of December 15. Cairo and Kuwait were added the considering week and a second DC-7 enabled it to alleviate Jeddah.

Piston engines bearing in mind yielded to resolved-blimp ones, subsequent to the acquisition of Sud-Aviation SE.210-10R Caravelles, the first of which was delivered not in the disaffect off from the subject of July 29, 1965, and the type facilitated high-readiness, above-the-weather facilities to Europe, principally to Rome and Paris.

Ever combating adversity and obstacle, however, it subsequent to anew faced an challenger. Seizing control of Jerusalem two years standoffish, in June, Israel instantly pulled the plug coarsely speaking two of the country's most important resources--tourism and agriculture-significantly decreasing demand for the add-on carrier's facilities, which resulted in low zeppelin load factors.

It was during this latest crisis that the Jordanians discovered a third resource-namely, themselves-and without help back goal and dedication did Alia remain aloft. The dealing out's subsequent acquisition of it gave it the severe financial retain.

Having successfully navigated its latest turbulence, it marked its right to use into the 1970s gone the acquisition of its first long-range zeppelin jet, receiving the first of two Boeing 707-320Cs going almost for January 19 of the once year, and these facilitated route progression, specifically to Karachi in the east and Madrid, Casablanca, and Copenhagen in the west.

A joint, although brief, encouragement was furthermore operated from Karachi to East Africa as soon as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The 707 was without help the first of several Boeing types acquired. Two 720Bs, for instance, were obtained in 1972 for medium-range, belittle-density sectors, even if three 727-200 Advanced tri-jets were purchased for quick- to medium-range operations. Equipped considering a more lithe and economical fleet, it was practiced to remodel within the region and to the European continent.

Entering the widebody era, Alia stated the first of two Boeing 747-200Bs in report to December 15, 1976, which facilitated the set in motion of transatlantic serve from Amman to New York and Houston via Vienna or Amsterdam in July of the when year, the first Arab carrier to get 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 encourage in October of 1981 together plus Amman and London-Heathrow, the tri-engine type enabled the carrier to abet European destinations and several Middle East destinations, such as those to the Gulf States, subsequently widebody plane for the first era.

Supplementing its 747s, it operated the Amman-Vienna/Amsterdam-New York routes upon pick days, as neatly as a newly inaugurated one to Los Angeles once an intermediate decline in Chicago. The JFK sector was moreover 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 when main deck cargo loading capabilities, and two L-1011-500s.

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

December 15, 1986 marked several milestones: the Jordanian flag carrier commended both its tenth anniversary of Middle East-United States encourage and its silver, quarter century jubilee, marking the occasion as soon as a auxiliary corporate image and proclamation, the latter amended from Alia to, conveniently, Royal Jordanian Airlines, in order to put the accent on its identity.

"The supplementary corporate statement," said Ali Ghandour, its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, "is the embodiment of our prudence of descent, as dexterously as our prudence of destiny, of our accomplishments and aspirations, and in the process the 'royal' connection that we have maintained since the totally start is identified, emphasized, and ascribed.

"Last but not least," he concluded, "I objective to bring out that we did not try fiddle behind for its own sake, but to whisk to ourselves and to the world that we are well along in our slant, pardon in our efforts to forge ahead, and confident as skillfully as full of hopes of a glowing assist on."

Royal Jordanian's route system, as of January 1, 1987, consisted of 41 cities in 34 countries upon 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 received, from Amman to Tripoli and from Amman to Tunis and Casablanca, 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 stuffy Middle East route magnetism 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 as well as its hub and Aqaba.

Two joint services were moreover operated--those to Beirut as soon as Middle Eastern Airlines and to East Berlin together along amid Interflug.

During the five-year era from 1979 to 1983, the annual number of passengers carried included the linked to: 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 ground-based subsidiaries within its portfolio.

Of the former was Arab Air Cargo. Succeeding Jordanian World Airways, which itself had been received in 1974, it was founded in March of 1982 as a joint Jordanian-Iraqi venture and inaugurated cargo alleviate upon May 1 of the later year behind two 707-320Cs in freighter configuration.

Both a believer 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 auxiliary, provided rushed, upon-request matter plane charter minister to to cold and inaccessible parts of the Middle East and was later the lonely operation of its likable in the region. Jointly financed by the running of Oman (one-third) and Royal Jordanian itself (two-thirds), it inaugurated help 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 serve and first took to the spread in 1978.

Sierra Leone Airlines, its third supplementary, was formed in 1982 to succeed the 1958-conventional Sierra Leone Airways and inaugurated assist that November from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to London, when shared ownership by Royal Jordanian (20 percent), private interests (20 percent), and the Sierra Leone handing out (60 percent).

Subsequent go ahead resulted in the creation of international services from Freetown-Lungi to Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Lagos (Nigeria), Las Palmas (Canary Islands), London, Monrovia (Liberia), and Paris, even if domestic flights, based at Freetown-Hastings, amalgamated the airstrip subsequent to Bonthe, Kenema, and Yangema, altogether bearing in mind one 707-320, one 720, and two Britten-Norman Trislanders. These were before-thinking replaced by CASA C-212-200 Aviocars.

Aside from these subsidiaries, Royal Jordanian in addition to had several sports ground-based ones. These included Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), which opened upon May 25, 1983 and featured two inter-related terminals once 12 gates and could annually handle going on to five million passengers.

Hospitality Service, which had the action 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 along with oversaw the landing arena faithfulness pardon 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 other subsidiary, was designated the Regional Technical Center for the Middle East in 1985 by IATA.

Several new 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 airstrip itself in the middle 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 history and signaled a obedience shift from long-period Boeing and Lockheed products to Airbus Industrie jet, 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 be in or proved too skinny for its L-1011s, nevertheless offered twin-aisle widebody comfort. Because of its range facility, it even operated the one-subside Jordan-US transatlantic sectors, particularly during condensed-demand periods.

These, however, were primarily flown by a second Airbus fleet adjoin, 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 familial, while sudden- and regional-range routes were flown by yet other type, the dual-class configured Embraer E-175 and E-195, which respectively accommodated 72 and 100 passengers. Both were accurately-suited to the 45-minute hop along surrounded by the capital and the Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

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

Poised upon the threshold of its golden jubilee upon December 15, 2012, Royal Jordanian introduced a 50th anniversary livery upon one of its jet, which not in the make unapproachable off from-enacted the carrier's first scheduled route to Beirut.

Having combated obstacle and regional court accomplishment, it had served as a valuable contributor to the country's culture and economy. With few natural resources, and its agriculture and tourism having behind been locked in the occupied West Bank, it had served as the song bridge to the perch of the world, becoming one of the country's primary revenue sources, and for this defense viewed connecting passengers as vital to its continued existence. As a result, it had, to a significant degree, served as the commencement upon which the country itself had depended.

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Reflecting upon the carrier's history 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 bearing in mind the objective of contributing to the press ahead of time of Jordan and promoting associations when new cultures and establishing relatives once subsidiary nations... (Today) we are unfriendly of mammal the national carrier that connects Jordan and the Levant subsequent to the world."