Nayef Al Fayez, Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, announced on October 3 the new aviation agreement between the global low-cost airline company, Wizz Air and Jordan. This agreement consists of the airline’s launch of eight new destinations to and from the Kingdom.
During the press conference, Fayez said:
“The tourism industry in Jordan is on the right path to gradual recovery and going according to the plan. We are optimistic about the achievements that the ministry and the Jordanian Tourism Board (JTB) are seeking to achieve.”
The minister insisted on the importance of reviving in-bound tourism to support the industry. He added:
“The ministry of tourism is working to continue and increase air traffic of all kinds, whether regular or low-cost flights. We are pleased to launch the agreement with the international company, Wizz Air, which will have a great impact on increasing the number of tourists to the Kingdom during the coming period.”
Fayez highlighted that before the pandemic, most of the low-cost flights gave new impetus to the tourism sector in Jordan. Abdelrazzak Arabiyat, the Managing Director of the JTB, underlined the importance of launching the agreement with Wizz Air. Arabiyat mentioned that the agreement came due to continuous efforts in the last several years.
He said that these flights will carry tourists of different European nationalities to the Jordanian Kingdom. Arabiyat commented:
“It is expected that these regular flights will positively affect the movement of the tourism sector and significantly increase the number of tourists coming to Jordan.”
According to Arabiyat, the agreement with Wizz Air will include the launch of marketing campaigns, saying that during its first year the airline operation is expected to attract up to 167,000 tourists to Jordan. He said that the first landing of a Wizz Air plane in Jordan will happen later this year, on December 15.
Wizz Air will launch up to eight destinations, including four lines to and from Amman (Queen Alia International Airport) for the whole year. Another four lines will be operated to and from Aqaba (King Hussein International Airport) during the winter season only.
Furthermore, Arabiyat said that the following routes are going to operate throughout the year, Milan, Budapest, Vienna, and Rome. He said:
“The ministry and JTB’s main priority is to attract more visitors by supporting charter and low-cost flights, increase the rate of tourists’ stay and the tourism income.”
He said that this sector had collapsed in the past as a result of restrictions on air transport during the pandemic, which resulted in million-dollar losses. Arabiyat also said that both the JTB and the ministry are working relentlessly to create and promote the Jordanian tourism product.
Owain Jones, Chief Supply Chain Officer of Wizz Air, insisted on his happiness with this agreement. He said during the press conference:
“We are very delighted that Jordan is the 51st country that we collaborate with. The development witnessed in Jordan is great and we want to help drive the business up, as well as the tourism industry. Wizz Air has been operating for over 17 years and is well known as the ultra-low-cost carrier in Europe, we are currently operating in 50 countries worldwide, our marketing targets the youngest demographics.”
Jones said that the firm’s website is ranked as the fifth most visited airline’s website globally. He was also quick to mention that Jordan is rich in culture and history, commenting:
“Jordan is one of the most exciting places and has so much to offer on different levels.”
He also believes that this agreement marks the start of some “long-term” relations between Jordan and Wizz Air.
On his part, Fayez believes that nearly 100% of the tourism industry’s employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He believes that the ministry is on the right path to revive the industry.
Initially, the ministry working extensively on domestic tourism via the “Urdun Jannah” program. Today, the ministry is working on attracting many tourists from abroad.
Wizz Air September Passengers Increase By 91% Versus September 2020
The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air said on October 4, 2021, that its September passenger numbers increased by 91% compared to September 2020. It also flew 57% more seats when compared to the same period in 2020 when the pandemic restrictions were still having a major impact on travel.
Wizz stated that it carried nearly 3 million passengers in September, with its planes flying at around 78.4% full. As economies continue reopening with more uptake of the COVID vaccines, the airline and tourism sectors are expected to recover to the pre-pandemic levels.
