Ryanair to open new routes to Jordan in March

Jordan announced Sunday that Europe's biggest low-cost air carrier Ryanair will start flights to the Arab kingdom in March.

The airline is expected to launch 14 new routes to Jordan as of March, Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab told a press conference.

The first route will be operated from Cyprus' coastal city of Paphos to Jordan's capital Amman in March, followed by nine other routes to Queen Alia Airport, Jordan's largest airport, and four others to King Hussein International Airport in Jordan's Red Sea city of Aqaba, Annab said.

"It is a key development in Jordan's tourism industry and will offer travellers a greater choice and value for money," she added.

Jordan's tourism revenues in 2017 rose by around 12 percent, according to official figures.

Abed Al Razzaq Arabyyat, managing director of Jordan's tourism board, said the launch of the new routes to Jordan from several key markets is essential in bringing tourists to Jordan for longer stays.

The new routes are expected to carry up to 500,000 travellers per year and to create 340 new on-site jobs, Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer David O'Brien said.