RJ to transfer all its flights to new airport terminal Thursday

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian (RJ) will transfer all its departing and arriving flights to the new terminal at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) as of Thursday, an RJ statement said Wednesday. "Royal Jordanian is pleased to receive its passengers at the new terminal, along with the passengers of all airlines operating at the airport," the airline said. "The new terminal is a landmark in the country and one of the most developed and advanced gateways in the region, in terms of construction and design, which blend Islamic architecture with the latest technology." RJ operates more than 100 flights every day, making up 60 per cent of the traffic at the airport, according to the statement. "The new terminal was built on over 103,000 square meters, double the area of the old terminal," RJ said. QAIA's new terminal increased the airport's capacity from 3.5 million to 9 million passengers per year, with plans to increase the capacity to 12 million passengers per year in the final stage by building more gates. The statement quoted RJ President/CEO Amer Hadidi as describing the new terminal as a milestone for the country. He noted that "the new terminal, with its cutting-edge features, constitutes an added value for RJ, since it is the hub of the airline’s operations". Hadidi "expressed gratitude to the Airport International Group (AIG) that accomplished this vital project, with which he hopes to maintain good cooperation in the service of the Jordanian air transport industry", the statement added. The new terminal's inauguration coincides with the "50th anniversary of RJ, the national carrier of Jordan and is a pertinent reflection of the way the Jordanian air transport industry developed". "One significant feature at the new terminal is the complete separation of arrivals and departures. The upper floor, which contains 64 check-in counters, serves departing passengers, whereas the lower floor is dedicated to arriving passengers who receive their luggage on six conveyor belts," RJ said. "The new terminal will operate eight new gates; phase two will follow with four new gates, until it operates a total of twenty five gates in the final stage, in line with international standards, which require one gate for each half a million passengers."