Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed 3,248,467 passengers (PAX) during the first half of 2022 — 21.7 per cent lower than the same period in 2019, according to Airport International Group (AIG) statistics.
QAIA also registered 31,547 aircraft movements (ACM) and 29,148 tonnes of cargo, representing 17 per cent and 40.5 per cent declines, respectively, compared with H1 2019, according to an AIG statement.
Meanwhile, during the month of June, QAIA handled 711,983 PAX, 6,211 ACM and 5,673 tonnes of cargo, marking decreases of 14.9 per cent, 17.1 per cent and 30.1 per cent, respectively, as opposed to June 2019.
Overall traffic growth during the first six months of 2022 was driven by the resumption and introduction of airlines and routes to QAIA’s global networks.
These included the launch of regular flights from Amman to Washington, DC, via United Airlines, to Jeddah and Riyadh via flyadeal, a Saudi low cost airline, to Alexandria via Alexandria Airlines and to Abu Dhabi via Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, in addition to the recommencement of routes to Antalya, Copenhagen, Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, Rome, Montreal and Najaf via Royal Jordanian, as well as the opening of new routes to Toronto via Royal Jordanian and to Rome, Milan and Vienna via Wizz Air Hungary.
The top destinations that contributed positively to the recorded traffic figures included Istanbul, Jeddah, Kuwait, Dubai and Cairo.
“The promising results noted during the first half of the year have been a step forward for QAIA following the coronavirus crisis, with passenger numbers showing steady progress over recent months,” commented Airport International Group CEO, Nicolas Claude.
“Though we have not yet fully recovered, we look forward to witnessing what the remaining six months of 2022 will bring, as we stay committed to delivering a welcoming and memorable travel experience at Jordan’s prime gateway to the world,” Claude added.