His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday emphasised the role of Royal Jordanian (RJ), as the national carrier, in supporting and revitalising tourism, pointing out that this will bolster Jordan as a regional and global tourist destination.

During a visit to the company’s headquarters, King Abdullah highlighted RJ’s valuable contribution to the tourism sector, describing it as a major driver of economic growth, especially in tourism, transportation, and airfreight.

Acknowledging the impact of the COVID pandemic on the airline industry, His Majesty expressed faith in RJ’s ability to overcome challenges and turn obstacles into opportunities.

For his part, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said RJ was on a path to recovery in 2019 before being negatively impacted by the repercussions of the pandemic, which caused financial losses.

The prime minister also discussed the need to bolster RJ’s role as the national carrier to attract more tourists to Jordan.

RJ Chairman Said Darwazah highlighted the airline’s modern fleet and its routes covering various international destinations, including more than 1,000 airports in 170 countries through the One World Alliance it joined in 2007.

Discussing the airline’s plan for the five upcoming years, RJ CEO Samer Majali said it includes a review of the routes covered, increasing the destinations, as well as upgrading and doubling the fleet and enhancing services.

Majali said RJ in 2021 was able to reduce its losses by 54% compared with 2020, and increase its operating revenue by 68% to reach JD357 million in 2021, from JD213 million in the previous year.