Ethiopian Confirms Jordan Launch

Credit: Rob Finlayson

Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed plans to add Jordan to its Middle East network in September, becoming the ninth country served by the carrier in the region.

Flights from the airline’s Addis Ababa (ADD) hub to Amman’s Queen Alia International (AMM) will begin on Sept. 19, operating three times per week. The 2,544-km (1,374-nm) route will operate using 154-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: “With the commencement of our new flight to Amman, passengers departing from/to the middle east can enjoy the extensive Ethiopian network worldwide with convenient connectivity and smooth transfer at Addis Ababa. Our new flight will also further strengthen the economic ties between Ethiopia and Jordan.”

The airline originally intended to start flights to Amman in July 2019, but the launch was initially delayed until October before being scrapped altogether. It then revived the plans in July 2021, saying flights would begin in August. However, the launch failed to materialize.

Ethiopian Airlines will become the only carrier to offer nonstop service between Ethiopia and Jordan once the route begins, with Amman becoming its 11th destination in the Middle East.

The Addis Ababa-Amman market was last served in June 2012 by bmi British Midland, which operated flights from London Heathrow (LHR) on an LHR-AMM-ADD-AMM-LHR routing.

Ethiopian Airlines will serve Amman from Addis Ababa on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing from Ethiopia’s capital at 10.30 p.m. and arriving in Jordan’s capital at 2.05 a.m. the following day. The return service operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, departing AMM at 3.05 a.m. and arriving in ADD at 6.44 a.m.

Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that the carrier currently serves 10 points in the Middle East, flying to Bahrain (BAH), Beirut (BEY), Dammam (DMM) Doha (DOH), Dubai (DXB), Jeddah (JED), Kuwait (KWI), Muscat (MCT), Riyadh (RUH) and Tel Aviv (TLV).

Overall, the carrier is this week (w/c Aug. 29, 2022) offering routes from ADD to 98 destinations worldwide, providing 401,525 seats across its entire network. This compares with 98 destinations from ADD and 408,844 seats during the same week three years ago.

Ethiopian Airlines has also confirmed that its current 3X-weekly operation from Manchester (MAN) will increase to 4X-weekly from Oct. 30. In addition, service from MAN will operate via Geneva (GVA) allowing the airline to carry passengers on this sector. Customers flying from MAN to ADD will remain onboard the aircraft at GVA.

David Casey

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.