RJ Seeks To Employ 55,000

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, August 13 (Petra) -- Royal Jordanian (RJ) employs over 31,000 people and seeks to up that number to 55,000 by 2028, the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors/CEO of RJ, Samer Majali, said.
During the government Communication Forum held Tuesday, Majali said, "RJ will remain steadfast in the face of all challenges," adding that the repercussions of the war on Gaza posed a "major" challenge to the national carrier's operations due to the decline in the number of tourists and the decrease in tourism income.
He said RJ flies planes to 60 destinations, operating "vital" routes, especially Algiers, Bahrain, Dusseldorf, Stockholm, and Brussels, adding that the company seeks to raise its contribution to the GDP to 4.3 per cent in 2028 so that the added value contribution to the GDP would be $2.07 billion.
He added that RJ has made "great" efforts to reduce costs, control expenses and open new stations to compensate for the decline in traveller numbers.
Majali discussed the company's most prominent challenges: the high prices of jet fuel, the exclusivity of the refinery's pricing, the tax imposed on tickets for travellers coming to the Kingdom through the company, the monopoly of Queen Alia Airport and competition with low-cost airlines and airlines that receive significant support from their governments in neighbouring countries.
Majali discussed the company's "important and effective role as one of the engines of the national economy by supporting Jordanian tourism and promoting it abroad."
He said the company continues its national work in serving Jordan at all times, especially during crises, explaining that the company played its national role during the COVID-19 pandemic and various world political turmoils and worked to transport expatriates to their homeland.
He added that the company would complete its plans to modernise the fleet and expand its network of routes, noting that RJ made "great achievements" in the fleet modernisation plan during the first half of 2024.
Majali added that the current number of aircraft is 26 aircraft, including 4 (Embraer) aircraft, 2 (Boeing 787) aircraft, 5 medium-range (Airbus) aircraft and 7 long-range (Boeing) aircraft, noting that the age of the company's fleet exceeded 13 years.
He said the company launched a project to modernise the fleet, which includes replacing all of the current short- and medium-range aircraft, which number 19, in addition to bringing more aircraft to meet the company's needs according to the strategic plan, as its total fleet would become 41 by the end of 2028.
He noted that the modernisation of the Embraer and Airbus fleet would be completed in mid-2026, while Boeing aircraft would be received at the beginning of the second quarter of 2025.
The financial results of RJ for the first half of 2024 showed a loss of JOD27 million, compared to a JOD17 million loss for the same period in 2023. Operating revenues decreased from JOD348 million to JOD338 million for the comparison period, and the company's fleet transported 1.757 million passengers during the first half of 2024.
Majali expected that RJ would record a net loss of more than JOD20 million during the first nine months of 2024, compared to a profit of JOD10.8 million for the same period in 2023, a decline of more than JOD30 million, which shows the "great" impact of the Israeli war on Gaza.

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