Royal Jordanian Challenges Avoiding Israeli Airspace

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas presents Royal Jordanian CEO Samer Majali with a range of complex challenges. Majali expressed these concerns during the Routes World conference in Istanbul on Monday, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond just Tel Aviv. The core problem lies in the need to navigate airspace over Israel.

Jordan's proximity to Israel means that many of Royal Jordanian's primary flight routes pass through Israeli airspace. In light of the conflict, the airline is now compelled to divert its flights either to the north, over Lebanon and Syria, or to the south, over Saudi Arabia and Egypt. While these routing adjustments may not be extensive in terms of distance, they still result in additional operational complexity and costs for Royal Jordanian. This is a particularly significant concern for the airline as it continues to grapple with financial losses stemming from the pandemic.

Furthermore, the conflict has begun to impact bookings to Jordan, with some reduction in demand, and similar concerns are affecting bookings to Beirut due to fears that the conflict could extend into Lebanon. Samer Majali noted that the airline faces an unprecedented array of challenges, including the ongoing conflict, rising fuel costs, recent capital restructuring efforts due to substantial losses, and delays in the arrival of new Airbus aircraft scheduled for next year.

As a result of the conflict, many foreign airlines have suspended their flights to Israel, including major international carriers like Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, and various American and European airlines. In contrast, El Al and other Israeli airlines like Arkia and Israir have continued to operate flights.

The Royal Jordanian Fleet consists of the Airbus A319, A320 and A321; Boeing 787-8 and Embraer ERJ170/190. The airline operates flights to America, throughout Europe and the Middle East as well as to Vietnam.