Royal Jordanian has decided to introduce 20 new Airbus A320neo planes to its fleet. As per the agreement, this will replace 13 A320ceo aircraft currently in service.
Samer Majali, Vice-Chairman and CEO, said this was part of the airline’s strategic plan to modernise its narrow-body fleet of aircraft and also increase the total fleet size from the present 24 to over 40 aircraft in the next three to five years.
In a statement, Majali said that Royal Jordanian’s five-year growth strategy (2023-2028), intends to bolster its position as “the preferred air carrier in the Levant, promoting Amman as the leading gateway in the region and Jordan as a remarkable tourism destination”.
The airline said it conducted thorough feasibility studies to decide on the best choice of aircraft to replace the A320ceo family fleet.
The company decided on the A320neo as it features the latest fuel-efficient engines, large sharklets (the winglets which improve the environmental performance by reducing the induced drag, thus minimising fuel consumption) and the innovative Airspace Cabin for enhanced passenger comfort.
Another appealing feature of the A320neo is that it considerably reduces training and other costs. Because all A320 family aircraft share the same fly-by-wire digital flight controls, cabin management systems, maintenance systems and parts, it helps reduce the scheduling and training costs of pilots and technicians, lowering the introductory investment expenditure as well as the operational and maintenance costs of service.
The aircraft will be equipped with the latest ergonomically designed seats, wireless communication, and Internet as well as inflight entertainment throughout the cabin. Some of the aircraft on longer routes will have lie-flat business class seats, the airline added.
The Jordan Times also reported that Royal Jordanian is in negotiations with Boeing to increase the number of B787s in the fleet from seven to 11 in the next few years. The airline is currently evaluating new B787-9 and -10 aircraft as potential growth aircraft as well as replacements for the current fleet in due course.
The airline also plans to introduce new regional aircraft to allow it to grow its flight frequencies to primary and secondary destinations in the region in the second half of next year. The airline stated that the selected type will be announced soon.
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