RJ, Embraer organise demo flight on new aircraft

AQABA — Royal Jordanian (RJ) and the Brazil-based multinational aerospace manufacturer Embraer on Tuesday organised a demo flight to Aqaba on Embraer’s  new E195-E2 regional jet. 

The passengers on the demonstration trip included RJ’s Vice Chairman and CEO Samer Majali, CCO of Embraer Martyn Holmes, Brazilian Ambassador to Jordan Ruy Amaral, journalists, media representatives and social media influencers.

RJ is considering introducing this aircraft model, which is distinguished by its “fuel efficiency and lower maintenance costs”, to its short-haul fleet, according to Majali. 

In an interview with The Jordan Times, he said that these aircraft would serve RJ’s growth plan in the Levant region.

“The goal is to position Amman as the region’s leading gateway by increasing frequencies to current markets, offering robust connectivity to a wider destination network and improving the quality of its services at all touch points,” he added.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, RJ is offering multi-country travel packages, allowing Europeans to stay in Jordan en route to or returning from the World Cup in Qatar, according to Majali.

Planes of this size, which have a little over 100 seats, will allow RJ to increase its reach to smaller, secondary airports and schedule daily trips at the same operational cost of four flights on a larger plane model, he added. 

Moreover, he noted that the cost of introducing this aircraft model into RJ’s fleet is very low, as its pilots won’t need further training since RJ has been operating Embraer E-1s, a similar aircraft, for 15 years. 

The introduction of this newer model is part of a fleet-renewal project RJ began in September 2021, according to Majali.

He also said that RJ has recently reached an agreement with Airbus to introduce 20 A320neo aircrafts, replacing the 13 A320ceo aircrafts which are currently in service.

Majali also pointed out that while the airline industry is dealing with the issue of rising fuel prices which constitute a large percentage of operational costs, air traffic is showing signs of a strong recovery from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.