Royal Jordanian is the national airline of Jordan and one of the Middle East’s long-established international carriers. Based at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) near Amman, the airline connects Jordan with destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America.
For me, Royal Jordanian also has a place in my personal aviation history. I flew with the airline in October 2013, completing four flights that included both short regional services and two very different long-haul Airbus aircraft.
Royal Jordanian
Royal Jordanian traces its history back to 1963, when the airline was established as Alia, named after Princess Alia, the eldest child of King Hussein. It later became known as Royal Jordanian.
Amman is ideally positioned as a connecting point between Europe, the Middle East and destinations farther east and west. Royal Jordanian has therefore built much of its network around connecting passengers through Queen Alia International Airport.
The airline uses the IATA code RJ and ICAO code RJA and has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since 2007.
My Experience with Royal Jordanian
My Royal Jordanian experience came during an aviation-filled few days in October 2013. In just six days, I flew four sectors with the airline, travelling between Dubai, Amman and Chicago.
Dubai to Amman
14 October 2013
Dubai (DXB) → Amman (AMM)
Airbus A321
Flight time: 3 hours
My first Royal Jordanian flight took me from Dubai International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
The three-hour flight aboard an Airbus A321 was my introduction to Royal Jordanian and brought me from the Gulf to the airline’s home base in Jordan.
Amman to Chicago
18 October 2013
Amman (AMM) → Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Airbus A330-200
Flight time: 13 hours 46 minutes
Four days later came a much more substantial journey: almost fourteen hours from Amman to Chicago.
The flight was operated by an Airbus A330-200, making it a very different experience from the short A321 sector from Dubai.
Crossing from Jordan to the United States also demonstrated the geographical reach of Royal Jordanian. For an airline from a relatively small country, its long-haul network has historically given Amman some impressive direct connections.
Chicago to Amman aboard the Airbus A340-200
18 October 2013
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) → Amman (AMM)
Airbus A340-200
Flight time: 12 hours 56 minutes
The return flight was the highlight for me from an aviation perspective.
Instead of another A330, I flew aboard an Airbus A340-200.
The A340-200 was never produced in large numbers, and flying one has become an increasingly unusual entry in any aviation logbook. Its four engines and long-haul design belong to a very different period of commercial aviation, before efficient large twin-engine aircraft came to dominate intercontinental routes.
Spending almost thirteen hours aboard an A340-200 made this Royal Jordanian flight particularly memorable for me.
It also gave me the unusual opportunity to experience two different Royal Jordanian long-haul Airbus types on the same journey: the A330-200 outbound and A340-200 inbound.
Amman to Dubai
19 October 2013
Amman (AMM) → Dubai (DXB)
Airbus A321, JY-AYT
Flight time: 3 hours
My Royal Jordanian journey ended the following day with another three-hour flight between Amman and Dubai.
This time I recorded the registration: JY-AYT.
It was a fitting conclusion to the trip, returning to the same type of aircraft on which my Royal Jordanian experience had started.
Four Flights, Three Aircraft Types
My Royal Jordanian log from October 2013:
| Date | Route | Aircraft | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 October 2013 | Dubai → Amman | Airbus A321 | 3:00 |
| 18 October 2013 | Amman → Chicago | Airbus A330-200 | 13:46 |
| 18 October 2013 | Chicago → Amman | Airbus A340-200 | 12:56 |
| 19 October 2013 | Amman → Dubai | Airbus A321 (JY-AYT) | 3:00 |
Total flying time: 32 hours 42 minutes.
What makes these flights interesting to look back on is the variety. Across only four sectors, I experienced three Airbus types with Royal Jordanian: the A321, A330-200 and A340-200.
The A340-200 stands out most. Aircraft fleets constantly evolve, and types that once routinely crossed continents can disappear surprisingly quickly. Looking back at an old flight log therefore becomes more than simply remembering where I travelled. It records a small piece of aviation history.
Royal Jordanian in My Logbook
Royal Jordanian may not have the enormous global network or fleet of some of the Gulf’s biggest airlines, but that is also part of its character. Amman remains an important gateway to Jordan and the wider region, while the airline has maintained a distinctive identity of its own.
My experience in 2013 captured Royal Jordanian during an interesting period in its fleet history. I flew its regional A321, crossed the Atlantic aboard an A330-200, and returned to Amman on the much rarer four-engined A340-200.
Of those four flights, Chicago to Amman aboard the Airbus A340-200 is the one that stands out most today. At the time it was simply another long-haul flight. Years later, it has become one of those flights I am especially glad to have in my logbook.