The Jordanian Arab Wings airline was established in 1975, owning small planes used to transport local businessmen around the world. In an article appearing in the local Finance and Business magazine, the general manager of the company, Aahed Quntar stated that in early 1996, a new company by the name of Royal Wings joined forces with Arab Wings, adding two Canadian Dash 8 to the existing fleet of Sabre, Falcon and Boeing 727 planes.
This joint company, fully owned by the national airline, Royal Jordanian, is currently working to increase the volume of tourism throughout the kingdom by offering additional links between tourist sites in the Middle East region. The operations and schedules of this line are compatible with the mother company, and do not interfere or compete with Royal Jordanian’s scheduled routes.
Presently, Arab Wings runs organized trips to Aqaba, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Jaffa, and occasionally, to Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurgada as well as Larnaka, Antalya and Rhodes. The company also enlists the services of two helicopters, directly linking between Petra, Wadi Rum and the Sahara castles. During the busy summer season, the company charters planes from Royal Jordanian, to accommodate the large numbers of passengers.
Quntar stated that one of the most important goals of this airline is to link the areas of interest to Arab tourists with the existing airline network. The company’s plans for the future include flights linking Petra with the surrounding tourist sites in the region as well as linking Aqaba with the US and Europe.
Currently, the fleet of planes is sufficient for the company’s needs, but additional acquisitions are expected in 2001. –(Albawaba-MEBG)
