On Sunday, low-fare Irish airline Ryanair announced its expansion in the Middle East, offering flights to Jordan for the first time ever.
This is the second move in the region, after it introduced flights to Israel last year, according to CNN.
Starting this March, in collaboration with the Jordan Tourism Board, the airline is introducing 14 new routes from 11 European countries, flying to Amman and Aqaba.
"Ryanair is pleased to announce our entry into the Jordanian market from March 2018, initially with one route from Paphos in Cyprus to Amman commencing in March, and growing to 10 from October, as part of our Winter 2018 schedule," explained Ryanair's CCO David O'Brien.
The new routes are expected to carry nearly 500,000 passengers every year. The Jordanian government hopes the new Ryanair flights will attract more tourists and boost the economy, restoring the industry from its 2015 slump due to the political instability in neighboring Arab countries.
Jordan's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab, welcomed the arrival of Ryanair, saying:
"Ryanair’s decision to fly to Jordan sends a loud and clear message about the diversity and the untapped potential of Jordan’s tourism product. It also shows confidence in the tourism industry in Jordan, which has witnessed double-digit growth in the past year."
She also emphasized on the great timing to launch these new routes to Jordan, as the country has been listed as "one of the best destinations to visit in 2018 by numerous world-renowned travel and tourism publications".
The announcement has since stirred positive reactions all over Jordanian social media, even reaching Europeans, who didn't fail to share their excitement...