Royal Jordanian steps up cargo links with Germany

VP cargo sales and services Muath Majali (right) said the feasibility study RJ conducted for the German market revealed the importance of a cargo route connecting Amman and Frankfurt. He said the route will support Jordanian exports of fruits, vegetables and medicine to the German market. “It is also bound to support the national economy by stimulating cooperation and understanding partnerships between Jordan and Germany, in addition to boosting the trade volume between them,” he said.

Majali said the route will enhance the movement of transit cargo destined for Germany via Amman, coming mainly from Hong Kong, Bangkok, Colombo, Delhi and the Arabian Gulf countries on RJ passenger aircraft.

This cargo service between Jordan and Germany will also serve German exports, including car spare parts, construction tools, industrial and printing equipment and industrial kits to Jordan and the region, in addition to the Far East.

He added that Frankfurt will become a cargo hub for Royal Jordanian in Central Europe, in addition to the airline’s two other hubs in Europe: Maastricht and Vienna. He said that adding this destination to the airline’s cargo route network will help increase the total earnings from freighting services, which reached JD74.5 million last year, amounting to 9 % of the total revenues of the company — JD802 million in 2012.

Royal Jordanian is also planning to operate a regular cargo route between Amman and Mumbai in early 2014 in order to transport Indian goods to Amman and from there on to Frankfurt.

The airline has two A310 freighters to serve its cargo short- and medium-haul routes, with a capacity of 36 tons each. The company transports around 55% of its total cargo through its 31 passenger aircraft. The total cargo transported in 2012 weighed more than 54,000 tons, which helped the airline witness a 5% increase in the cargo revenue last year over 2011.