Airline Identity
History
Royal Jordanian was established on 9 December 1963 by royal decree of King Hussein of Jordan, initially operating as Alia - The Royal Jordanian Airline (named for the king's daughter), and began flying on 15 December 1963 with two Handley Page Dart Herald turboprops and a Douglas DC-7 to Kuwait City, Beirut, and Cairo. The airline introduced jet aircraft in 1968 and grew into Jordan's national flag carrier, adopting the Royal Jordanian name and building an international network connecting the Middle East to Europe, Asia, and North America. Originally state-controlled after its founding, the airline was partially privatized at the end of 2007, when 71 percent of its assets were sold to private investors while the Jordanian government retained a stake. That same year, 2007, Royal Jordanian became the first Arab airline to join a global airline alliance, entering oneworld, cementing its role as a key East-West connecting carrier through its Amman hub.
Current Operations
Royal Jordanian operates a fleet of around 38 aircraft, including Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for long-haul routes and a narrowbody mix of Airbus A320neo-family jets and Embraer E190-E2 regional jets, with further 787-9s and other aircraft on order. The airline serves roughly 50 destinations across four continents with over 500 weekly flights from its main hub at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport, complemented by a focus city operation at Aqaba. As a member of oneworld since 2007, it plays a significant connecting role between Europe, Asia, and Africa via Amman, and continues gradual fleet modernization focused on Dreamliner long-haul expansion alongside its existing regional and Gulf network.
Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.