Air Arabia Jordan will make its inaugural flight next month, from Amman to Kuwait City, on May 18, with flights to Erbil, Jeddah and Sharm El Sheikh to begin the same week.
Amman will be the fifth hub for Air Arabia, joining Sharjah, Casablanca, Alexandria and Ras Al Khaimah. Air Arabia Jordan was created after Air Arabia bought a 49 percent stake in Jordan’s Petra Airlines in January.
“The establishment of a new hub in Jordan extends Air Arabia’s operational footprint into the heart of the Levant and brings us a step closer to achieving our stated goal of connecting the entire Arab world,” Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, chairman of Air Arabia, said when the purchase was announced.
Despite the renaming of the airline, and the thought that Air Arabia’s investment was solely to acquire Petra’s operating license, Jordan-based transport and tourism company Rum Group will retain a 51 percent stake in the airline.
The expanded operations in Jordan will continue the growth of budget carriers in the region.
Sharjah-based Air Arabia and its biggest competitor, FlyDubai, both now serve more than 80 destinations. The two carriers dwarf regional competitors such as Kuwait's Jazeera Airways and Saudi Arabia's Flynas.