Petra Airlines (Amman) is planning to convert from a charter airline to a low-fare scheduled airline in 2013. The airline has issued and updated this statement:
Petra Airlines of Jordan has obtained its AOC from Jordan CAA to operate as a schedule operator with an aim to be the first Low-Cost Carrier in Jordan. The company operated the last two years a charter flights and has fulfilled all the technical and economic requirements to be a schedule operator.
Mr. Riad Khashman (CEO) has announced Petra Airlines has completed the first phase of operation successfully and hope to expand for the next phase as the first LCC in Jordan. We have gained experience and positioned our brand in the regional market while gaining the consumers and Stakeholders confidence. The company currently owns and operates two Airbus A320s. The third A320 will join the fleet in early 2013 and the first Schedule flight will launch in March 2013. We have plans to operate five A320s by 2014 and have a schedule flight to most of the major Cities in the MENA and GCC Region using Queen Ali Int’l Airport- Amman as a hub.
Petra Airlines also announced a plan to increase its register Capital to reach $70 million. Also in talks to contract one of the Int’l Aviation consultants to develop a comprehensive business plan and ultimately attracting a potential strategic partner in the LCC sphere, Mainly European low-Cost Carriers, to benefit from having a platform in the region. This would allow Petra Airlines to provide services to Europe, MENA and GCC under Jordan open sky policy.
The Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority approved its application to switch its activities from the charter to scheduled market. Petra Airlines was founded in 2005 as a division of the Rum Group, but did not launch operations until October 2010 when it took delivery of its first aircraft (the first charter flight was operated on December 1, 2010). Over the subsequent two years it has operated two Airbus A320s on charter work – ad hoc flying, ACMIs and tour operator packages – across a network that has included destinations in Armenia, Egypt, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl. Airbus A320-212 (msn 537) arrives at the vacation destination of Antalya.
Petra Airlines: 
