Royal Jordanian Airlines is preparing to resume flights between Amman and Belgrade next April after a 34-year hiatus, with the carrier now boosting planned capacity and securing agreements with Serbian tour operators. The Oneworld member will launch the route with two weekly flights operated by its 122-seat Embraer E195-E2, before introducing the 189-seat Airbus A321neo on select rotations from September. EX-YU Aviation News understands the airline is also considering increasing frequencies to four weekly at the start of the 2026/27 winter season. Royal Jordanian is expected to take delivery of its first A321neo in the coming months.
Royal Jordanian has finalised an agreement with Serbian tour operators under which local travel agencies will offer holiday packages to Aqaba from next summer, with passengers to be transported on the airline’s flights. “This new route expands our European network and creates new opportunities to boost tourism between Jordan and Serbia. As part of our exploRJordan vision, travellers from Serbia will have the chance to experience Aqaba, Jordan’s beautiful Red Sea destination, through curated one-week vacation packages in collaboration with leading tour operators in Serbia”, Royal Jordanian said. It added, “This launch reinforces our commitment to growing our network, promoting Jordan as a top tourism destination, and positioning Amman as a central travel hub and gateway to the region”.
Royal Jordanian has launched a number of new European destinations over the past two years in line with its commercial strategy to expand its route network and attract more inbound tourism to Jordan, as well as make Amman a transfer hub for the Levant region. It plans to expand its network to sixty destinations and increase its fleet to close to forty aircraft as part of its ongoing five-year growth plan. Although Serbian passport holders require a visa to enter Jordan, they can be obtained on arrival and do not require additional paperwork. Royal Jordanian will become the second Oneworld member carrier to serve Belgrade, joining Qatar Airways.
Great news! This route has been missing for decades. Finally some proper Middle Eastern connectivity for Belgrade outside the Gulf carriers.
ReplyDeleteJordan in general is very poorly connected with the region, especially considering how limited transfers are due to their membership in Oneworld, while the Balkans are dominated by *A
DeleteHopefully, Air Serbia and Royal Jordanian form some sort of codeshare, would do wonders in connecting their country with the rest of the Western Balkans
Well, if this route becomes a success then it will show how good RJ's commercial department is.
DeleteSeems like they were proactive in BEG and actually went out and looked for partners to fill their seats. They did not merely schedule flights and hope for the best.
Agree with Nemjee. Now all they need is a bit of a general ad campaign and I think this will work well.
DeleteFully agree, seems like a missed opportunity for JU.
DeleteDefinitely. JU is holding thier horses maximally. Not even a bit thinking out of the box
DeleteYes, those 40+ routes launched in the last 3 years is a clear example of "holding their horses maximally":.
DeleteOf course. Except maybe TBS, all other destinations are no brainers.
DeleteUtter nonsence.
DeleteJust because JU has launched all those routes doesn't mean there weren't some missed opportunities. You should know JU scheduled AMM but then cancelled it. They obviously recognized this market as a good one.
DeleteOpa! This is a step in the right direction and long overdue. This will certainly bring more tourists to BG and open the door for more options for travelers/investors in both directions.
DeleteWell done Belgrade!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good vote of confidence by them. Maybe sales are going well.
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting to know which tour operators they are working with. Maybe they are not only from Serbia. Maybe Bosnian and Croatian ones are also working with them.
DeleteThere aren't that many Jordan flights from our region.
Interesting that RJ is already planning to upgauge to the A321neo on some flights. That’s a lot of capacity for a brand-new market. Clearly the tour operator deal for Aqaba is quite big.
DeleteWayout for sure is one of them.
DeleteWayout is Egyptian owned. Probably Egyptian government
Deleteand? they still fly to Malta, Spain, UAE, Cyprus..
Deletefly = offer (sorry)
DeleteYes, but Jordan seems a direct competition to Egypt. Wouldn't be wise to decrease own amount of tourists to neighbors
DeleteEach of these will have respective clients. If I got bored with hurghada but I see Aqaba offer, wayout gets marcup.
DeleteWay out will sell Aqaba if there is demand. Why should they hand over a certain market to their competition?
DeleteCould QR codeshare on DOH-AMM amd AMM-BEG?
ReplyDeleteInteresting development. Makes you wonder if we might see direct Aqaba flights in the future.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they add more flights to BEG so as to improve connectivity via AMM. They could be a nice alternative to IST and SAW.
This is good point Nemjee. From AMM to Aqaba, it takes from 4-5h.
DeleteTour operators will probably add Wadi Rum and/or Petra sights so this will be fantastic.
Jat Airways used to have charters to Aqaba.
DeleteWith RJ scheduling these flights and then upgauging them to A321 only goes to show they see a lot of potential there.
DeleteOnly thing JU could do now is introduce winter charters to Aqaba. After all, we have so many winter flights to Cyprus and Egypt. Jordan will do just fine.
When do most people travel to Jordan? Is it more of a winter destination? I’m a bit surprised they are adding larger aircraft after peak summer and considering doubling flights from next winter.
ReplyDeletebest time to visit is from October - april
DeleteGood to know, thanks
DeleteAqaba is great for winter sun. If they package it properly with good prices, this could be a real hit among Serbian tourists.
DeleteAqaba is an underrated destination. If the tour operator deals are priced well, this could actually work year-round, not just in summer.
ReplyDeleteExcellent news! This means after 18 years Aqaba will again be offered by tour operators in Serbia. Took them long enough.
ReplyDeleteFinally. Not surprised Serbian tour operators have been doing nothing for 18 years and just wait for something to fall out of the sky for them. 0 effort to stimulate any new market on their behalf.
DeleteCould not agree more about Serbian tour operators
DeleteHow long is the flights Amman-Aqaba? Are there actual flights between them?
ReplyDeleteblocked at 55 minutes but in reality it is shorter.
DeleteOh an yes, RJ has 2-3 daily flights between Amman and Aqaba. They use all sort of equipment - E2, A321, A320...
DeleteThank you!
DeleteFour weekly flights in winter? That seems too optimistic. The market is still small.
ReplyDeleteThe Aqaba deal is key. Without it, the route would be risky. With guaranteed passengers it looks much more sustainable.
DeleteThere are 3 flights to Hurghada all winter
DeleteOk but Hurghada is a well known product in Serbia. And it's very cheap which is its main selling point.
DeleteTrue but knowing Serbian holidaymakers they were never shy when it came to discovering new destinations. Remember how Zanzibar became popular overnight? I think Aqaba will be an easy sell and tour operators probably know this.
DeleteAlso with more frequencies they can be more competitive for transfers passengers.
Good to see another Oneworld airline at BEG. Hopefully this pushes Air Serbia to consider more Levant routes too.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteRJ has been rebuilding its European network aggressively. Belgrade fits into that nicely.
ReplyDeleteTwo weekly is a decent start, but if they really go up to four weekly in winter 2026/27, that’s a strong sign the market is performing. Curious to see how the A321neo does on the route.
ReplyDeleteAqaba packages will definitely sell. Jordan is becoming more and more popular in the Balkans. With visa on arrival, it’s pretty straightforward.
ReplyDeleteHopefully no more mess in Middle East next year.
Delete^ don't count on it
DeleteI hope Air Serbia considers cooperation with RJ as well. Connections via Amman could be useful for parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
ReplyDeleteI hear JU was keen but RJ not.
DeleteWhat exactly would change? JU code-share agreements are notoriously overpriced.
DeleteRJ returned to BEG because of demand, not because of JU.
Unfortunately Air Serbia never fully developed their code-share agreements and we see that by the modest number of foreign carriers that feed their BEG network.
I don't think there is one airline flying to BEG which has scheduled their flights around JU.
But they do get some feed. I know that QR gets quite some connecting traffic from Montenegro, and Skopje onto their flight BEG flight.
DeleteOf course they do but those numbers are not significant. After all, if QR had that many transfers onto JU then they wouldn't have reduced BEG.
DeleteI know they cut their network due to engine issues but they also increased other markets which performed well for them. Unfortunately BEG wasn't a star performer for them when you consider their entire network.
Aqaba is great for winter holiday on the beach. Flights from SOF were just 50-70€ RT
ReplyDeleteBut I heard Aqaba itself is expensive no?
DeleteInternet says
DeleteIn Aqaba, budget travelers spend $70 (JOD49) per day on average, mid-range travelers spend $157 (JOD112) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $292 (JOD207) per day.
Quite a lot for a regional average
DeleteAqaba has status of Free Economic Zone, and is cheaper than other parts of Jordan. It is not fully commercialized, people are very friendly and food, especially in restaurants is excellent and cheap. Accommodation is available in all ranges, from 20 euros per night for double room in one or two star small hotels to 200-300 per night in 5 star Kempinski, Intercontinental, Movenpick... Sea is cristaly clear and rich in life, and perfect for diving and snorkeling. No good beaches in city center except on private big hotel beaches, but there are in South Beach aerea, including public. The best of all is the vibe and atmosphere of the city, one of my favorite cities, which I visited dozen times.
DeleteThanks @PIR. Good insight
DeleteExotic airline for ex-Yu standards.
ReplyDeleteRJ is exotic in most of Europe. They don't have too many European destinations.
DeleteAlthough they do fly to London Stansted, perhaps the least exotic airport in Europe hihi
DeleteSmart move on their part
ReplyDeleteE195-E2 is a perfect aircraft for this sector.. I assume from September they expect tour groups to begin in bigger numbers which is why they will start sending A321neos.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who is in Belgrade today would love to escape to sunny Jordan.
DeleteSame with Cyprus. There is a whole different group of people the Middle East appeals to once the summer heat is gone.
Here is the first RJ A321neo :) still in production
ReplyDeleteplanespotters.net/airframe/airbus-a321neo-jy-royal-jordanian/3wpdkq
What are the average fares like on this route. Is it affordable? Sorry can't research at the moment.
ReplyDeleteFrom a quick look for next may their prices for a round to Belgrade-Amman are not at all competitive with one-stop flights via Vienna or Germany.
DeleteThe price i see for a return ticket varies from around £360 but can be more...
Not sure about prices for connecting destinations which might be what they are targeting with those prices.
An additional to my comment above. Of course RJ offers the advantage of speed. But for example their price for a Saturday-Saturday round trip in May is £405, £110 more expensive than Austrian Airlines but offering a 3hour trip instead of a 7/8hour one. So for some people this will work, more price sensitive customers less so. But all in all a great addition to Belgrade's connectivity and not to mention the beautiful livery!
DeleteDo Jordanians need visa to enter Serbia?
ReplyDeleteJordanians need a visa to enter every single country in Europe. The only exception is Albania.
DeleteThey need a visa pretty much everywhere. Only in Africa they have visa free to some countries.
DeleteThe reason they need a visa for everywhere is because of the sheer amount of Palestinian refugees living there.
DeleteI'm really happy to see more Oneworld options from BEG. It is actually a great alliance and very easy to use points across partner airlines.
ReplyDeleteI'm just happy JU is not operating this route. We need more variety.
Delete189 is very low density A321. I assume they have a serious premium business class product? Anyone knows how is it comparable to the likes of Emirates or Qatar?
ReplyDeleteThis is the business class cabin on the A321. I assume it will be upgraded for the A321neo
Deletehttps://www.verylvke.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/royal-jordanian-a321-business-class-cabin-1.jpg
Seems very decent from this review
Deletehttps://www.verylvke.com/en/2024/02/16/my-review-of-royal-jordanians-a321-business-class/
Food looks great! I love the buffet style trolley concept.
DeleteGreat thing for Serbian passport holders is if your destination in Jordan is Aqaba, your visa is free of charge. Meaning you declare at the airport, your destination in Jordan is Aqaba. Then you have 2 calendar days to get there and get stamp by ASEZA.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand if folks dont want to bother with this, buy JordanPass and freely entry Wadi Rum, Amman museums, several Roman sights, Petra, etc. Around 40 sights are listed for free entry with JordanPass, which costs from 70-80 JOD depending on how many days will mann visit Petra.
Good to know. Didn't know that about Aqaba.
DeleteMissed opportunity for JU, I still wonder what went wrong back in 2022 when they scheduled AMM
ReplyDeleteA global pandemic, constant shifts in travel and entry requirements, PCR testing requirements and vaccination certificates might just have had something to do with it.
DeleteGood addition to Belgrade’s summer offerings
ReplyDeleteI give it one season. If the tour operators don’t fill seats, RJ will exit.
ReplyDeleteThey should have consulted you before deciding to launch these flights.
DeleteThey didn't want to bother him, knowing how busy he is.
Deletetoo bad they didnt start some village in Ex-Yu, instead of BEG.
DeleteDo they have business class on the E2s?
ReplyDeleteThey do. Separate cabin with 1x1 seating
Deletehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/G6CHTpvWcAA16y9?format=jpg&name=large
Terrific news. Finally, another easy winter destination from Beograd that will be affordable.
ReplyDeleteIndeed a great destination, especially for winter 2026. Although many people might regard the prices RJ are currently charging as anything but budget-friendly.
DeleteTour operators will offer budget friendly tour packages. Egypt got a lot more expensive.
DeleteTrue. That would be very welcome indeed both for the route and for tourist options from Belgrade.
DeleteI did a simple Google search 'Akaba letovanje' and I noticed many tour operators have loaded the destination but without any additional information. Some like Jungle Tribe seem to already offer two options:
DeletePrevoz
Transfer Beograd - Budimpešta
Avio-kartu sa svim taksama na relaciji Beograd–Aman bez prtljaga
Transfer od smeštaja do aerodroma
Avio-kartu sa svim taksama na relaciji Aman – Budimpešta bez prtljaga
Transfer na relaciji Budimpešta -Beograd
Regular price for 9 days is €1.100. Not too bad.
I guess in the coming days and weeks we will see non-stop offers being loaded into the system.
https://www.jungletribe.rs/destinacije/azija/jordan/jordan-akcija
Ryanair and Wizz together offer 4 flights a week between Budapest and Amman at good prices although i think for both airlines they are scheduled very early in the morning mean leaving for Budapest around midnight by combi. Ryanair's twice weekly flights from Sofia seem very useful for those living, or willing to drive to that airport.
DeleteIts clearly a vote of confidence in the buoyancy of the Serbian market that RJ have decided to enter with quite an ambitious frequency given that route is clearly has strong LCC potential too.
Seems that all W6, FR and RJ see that potential before JU. JU is likely satisfied doing everything by the book. With pretty strong government behind, they could enter some risk sometimes
Delete