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Royal Jordanian has announced that it has taken a decision to procure 20 new Airbus A320neo aircraft to its fleet , which will replace thirteen A320ceo planes currently in service.
Samer Majali , Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Company , said to have revealed this as the carrier’s strategic move to modernise its narrow-body fleet of aircraft and also increase the total fleet size from the present 24 to over 40 aircraft in the next three to five years.
To expand the fleet to a total of 40 aircraft , Royal Jordanian also intends to have more 787 Dreamliner widebodies , going from current fleet of seven to 11 planes.The airline is currently evaluating new B787-9 and -10 aircraft as potential growth aircraft as well as replacements for the current fleet in due course.
Picture : Wei Yu : Royal Jordanian B787-8 JY-BAB lifting off runway 24L of Montreal
Royal Jordanian had decided a few years ago to look for a replacement for the A320. Both the Boeing 737 MAX and the A320neo and the Embraer E2 series were being considered.
The airline also plans to introduce new regional aircraft to allow it to grow its flight frequencies to primary and secondary destinations in the region in the second half of next year. The airline stated that the selected type will be announced soon.
Worth taking a note , Royal Jordanian operates two Embraer 175 and two Embraer 195 aircraft for its regional connectivity. It will be interesting to see if A220 and Embraer E2 compete for replacement of these.
In a statement, Majali said that Royal Jordanian’s five-year growth strategy (2023-2028), intends to bolster its position as
“the preferred air carrier in the Levant, promoting Amman as the leading gateway in the region and Jordan as a remarkable tourism destination”.
The airline said it conducted thorough feasibility studies to decide on the best choice of aircraft to replace the A320ceo family fleet.
Apart from fleet commonality benefits and fuel efficiency factors for company's interest , the aircraft will be equipped with the latest ergonomically designed seats, wireless communication, and Internet as well as inflight entertainment throughout the cabin. Some of the aircraft on longer routes will have lie-flat business class seats, the airline added.
