AMMAN — The first tourist charter plane of the 2025 winter season carrying 137 Bulgarian tourists on Monday landed at the King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) in Aqaba.

The flight was organised by the Bulgarian tourism company ABAX and its local agent Travco Jordan as part of the charter flight programme supporting Aqaba’s winter tourism season, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Minister of Tourism Emad Hijazin said that the arrival of this flight represents an “important” step to boost confidence in the Jordanian tourism product, noting that it is an indicator of expanding European interest in Aqaba as a tourist destination.

Hijazin underscored that the ministry is working in partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and the private sector to attract more charter flights and develop integrated tourism programmes that enhance Jordan’s position on the global tourism map.

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Commissioner for Tourism and Youth Affairs Thabet Nabulsi stressed that the return of charter flights to KHIA is a “pivotal” element in stimulating the tourism movement during the winter season.

Nabulsi added that resuming charter flights reflects the “success” of joint efforts between the Ministry of Tourism, ASEZA, and the JTB to enhance Aqaba’s presence on the map of global tourist destinations.

Nabulsi highlighted that this type of flight contributes to raising hotel occupancy rates and stimulating various economic sectors in the coastal city.

JTB Deputy Director-General Wael Rousan said that charter aviation constitutes a “fundamental” pillar in attracting tourists to the Kingdom, especially from European markets, which are among the “most important” target markets for Jordanian tourism.

He noted that the launch of flights from Bulgaria this season reflects the growing European interest in Aqaba and the Jordanian tourism product in general.

The Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) in September announced that low-cost airlines had gradually begun resuming flights to Jordan from Europe.

At the time, CARC Chairman Haitham Misto said that Hungary’s Wizz Air had started operating two weekly flights to Jordan from Budapest.

In 2024, 344,781 passengers arrived in Jordan on low-cost carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair, while in 2023, six airlines carried a total of 885,547 passengers.

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