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AMMAN — Royal Jordanian (RJ) inaugurates its new direct regular route from Amman to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday.
Jakarta is the fourth new RJ destination in 2015, the airline said in a statement.
RJ started operating flights to Ankara on December 8, and to Tabuk and Najaf earlier this year.
RJ President/CEO Captain Suleiman Obeidat said reopening theAmman-Jakarta route comes at a time when Indonesia witnesses an "increasingly remarkable air traffic", which is a sign of "economic growth".
RJ operated flights to Jakarta between 1992 and 2002; they were suspended for commercial reasons, the statement said.
Obeidat added that this route "is bound to carry tourists from Jordan and the Levant to Indonesia". It will also transport Indonesian students who study at Jordanian universities.
The route will serve the Indonesian labour force, cargo and business traffic.
Obeidat added that the feasibility studies conducted by RJ showed that this route is important for Haj and umra — the greater and lesser Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca — pilgrims and for transit passengers who come to Amman on their way to other cities.
RJ will operate to Jakarta, via Kuala Lumpur, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with an estimated 255 million population, of which 10 million live in Jakarta, the statement said. Muslims constitute 87 per cent of the population.
The Indonesian economy is one of the 20 largest worldwide.
Jakarta International Airport serves more than 70 airlines through 42 gates and serves more than 60 million passengers a year, according to RJ.