Royal Jordanian to operate first flight to Jakarta

23 Dec 2015 2046 | Business & Trade Fairs

AMMAN - Royal Jordanian inaugurates its new direct regular route from Amman to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on December 23, 2015.

Jakarta is the forth new RJ destination in 2015; the airline started operating to Ankara, on December 8, and to Tabuk and Najaf earlier this year.

RJ President/CEO Captain Suleiman Obeidat said that reopening the Amman-Jakarta route comes at a time when Indonesia witnesses an increasingly remarkable air traffic, which indicates economic growth; Indonesia is the 17th largest economy worldwide.

RJ operated flights to Jakarta between 1992 and 2002; they were suspended for commercial reasons.

Captain Obeidat said that this route is bound to carry tourists from Jordan and the Levant to Indonesia and from there transport Indonesian students who study at Jordanian universities.

The route will also serve the Indonesian labor force, cargo and business traffic.

Captain Obeidat added that the feasibility studies conducted by Royal Jordanian showed that this route is important for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and for transit passengers who come to Amman in order to connect to the cities served by RJ network and that of oneworld carriers.

RJ will operate to Jakarta, via Kuala Lumpur, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The wide body Airbus 330 aircraft, which will fly on this route, takes off from Queen Alia International Airport, Amman, at 01:30 and reaches Jakarta at 18:25; it departs Jakarta at 19:55 and lands in Amman at 04:15 the following day.

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with an estimated 255 million population, of which 10 million live in Jakarta.

Muslims constitute 87 per cent of Indonesia’s population.

The Indonesian economy is one of the 20th largest worldwide in terms of GDP. Oil and gas, plywood, rubber, textiles and electrical appliances are the most popular country’s exports. It imports machinery and equipment, foodstuff, fuel and chemicals.

Jakarta International Airport serves more than 70 airlines through 42 gates and serves more than 60 million passengers a year.