Royal Jordanian orders six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at Dubai Airshow

Costs to operate flights have become higher amid Israel-Gaza war, chief executive says

Stanley Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, left, and Samer Majali, chief executive of Royal Jordanian Airlines, at a signing ceremony during the Dubai Airshow on Monday. Leslie Pableo / The NationalShow less

Jordan's state airline Royal Jordanian Airlines has placed an order for six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as it seeks to grow its long-haul operations amid a highly competitive aviation industry in the Middle East.

The agreement comprises a firm order for four 787-9 jets and a reconfirmation for two more planes that were previously cancelled, Samer Majali, vice chairman and chief executive of Royal Jordanian, told reporters.

This is in addition to three leases for brand new planes, he said.

The original order for the two planes were made “way back … because of issues in the region, the Arab Spring and so on … so we tailed our original order and we reduced it”, he said.

Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025, when two of the leased planes will be handed over, followed by the third in 2026.

The six new aircraft will then follow, beginning with one delivery each in 2027 and 2028, two more in 2030 and the remaining to follow, Mr Majali said.

The deal, which also includes a fleet connectivity retrofit for Royal Jordanian's Boeing 787 fleet, is aimed at helping the airline “drive efficiency and comfort”, he said.

The order also comes amid a challenging time for Royal Jordanian, which has to deal with the fallout of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.

The conflict has resulted in Royal Jordanian operating flights on considerably higher costs as it is forced to “fly longer routes to avoid the conflict areas”.

However, Mr Majali still encouraged tourism to Jordan, which he described as an “oasis of stability”.

The conflict “obviously hits us very badly … so we've seen some reduction in, in our traffic”, Mr Majali said.

“We're very pleased with this aeroplane. And in this climate of lack of aeroplanes, we are going to also refurbish our 787-8 co-operation with Boeing to be able to extend their life as long as possible before any additional aeroplanes come in the future,” he said.

“Our current 787s are about eight or nine years old, so they're still fairly young and [still] worth investing in. The idea is to bring them up to the 787-9 standards so that we can continue using them.”

Royal Jordanian's order is part of a flurry of deals forged at the Dubai Airshow, as airlines seek to secure coveted delivery slots for the latest fuel-efficient jets amid a post-coronavirus boom in air travel.

Global passenger traffic has rebounded to 97.3 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels in September, driven by record domestic traffic, the International Air Transport Association reported last week.

Dubai's Emirates, the world biggest long-haul carrier, led orders with an order for 95 additional Boeing 777X jets and Boeing 787 Dreamliners valued at $52 billion at list prices.

An Emirates plane accompanied by the UAE's Al Fursan aerobatic team during a flying display at the Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE craft flying in formation during a flying display at the Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

The Italian Air Force during a display at the Dubai Air show at DWC in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A Bader 250 craft during the flying display at the Dubai Air show. Pawan Singh / The National

An F16-60 during a display at the Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

Day one of the Dubai Airshow at Al Maktoum Airport. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Embraer stand. Antonie Robertson / The National

The SANAD stand. Antonie Robertson / The National

Exhibits on show on day one. Antonie Robertson / The National

The space agency stand at Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Military aircraft on show. Leslie Pableo for The National

Visitors at Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

The engine of a plane on display at Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

The Dubai Police stand. Leslie Pableo for The National

Visitors looking at missiles at Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

An exhibit with a bird-themed paint scheme the Dubai Airshow at Dubai World Central. Pawan Singh / The National

A drone on display at the stand of UAE military technology company EDGE, at Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

Visitors at the Dubai Airshow. The event has attracted more than 1,400 exhibitors from 95 countries. Pawan Singh / The National

A helicopter on display at the Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

An EDGE drone at Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

An Etihad Airways passenger jet on display at Dubai Airshow. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE military aircraft at Dubai Airshow, Al Maktoum International Airport. Leslie Pableo for The National

Emirates crew with an Emirates plane at the Dubai Airshow, Al Maktoum International Airport. Leslie Pableo for The National

UAE military aircraft at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Abu Dhabi Police aircraft at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

A flydubai plane at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Crew preparing an aircraft for Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Emirates chalet at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Emirates planes on display at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Riyadh Air's chalet at Dubai Airshow, Al Maktoum International Airport. Leslie Pableo for The National

Visitors attend the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

A Boeing plane on display at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

UAE military aircraft at the Dubai Airshow. Leslie Pableo for The National

Royal Jordanian expects a stronger bottom line in 2023, underpinned by a “big” rebound in tourism activity, Mr Majali said.

The airline was “one of the first few airlines post-Covid to actually make a profit”, he said.

In the first nine months of 2023, Royal Jordanian posted a net profit of 10.8 million Jordanian dinars ($15.1 million) on revenue of about 581.5 million dinars.

While a “very small profit”, it was still “positive” – the same outlook the company has for the rest of the year, Mr Majali said.

“We are forecasting the last three months to be also profitable [and we can] increase our profitability.”