AMMAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) on Tuesday resumed its direct flights between Amman and Aleppo, making the flag carrier of Jordan one of the first carriers to reintroduce direct flights to the strategic Syrian city, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
Direct flights from Amman to Aleppo are now scheduled weekly for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Petra said.
In late March, Jordan's state-run Al Mamlaka TV reported that the flag carrier operated a trial flight to Aleppo International Airport in preparation for the flight resumption after a 14-year suspension.
RJ has resumed direct flights to Syria's capital Damascus starting from Jan. 31 with the initial schedule of four weekly flights. It then ramped up its operational frequencies on the route, to 10 weekly since Feb. 20, and 11 weekly since March 2.
"The addition of Aleppo and Damascus to RJ's route network will enhance the airline's presence in the region, support Syria's reconstruction efforts, and foster closer economic and trade ties between Jordan and Syria," Petra quoted Samer Majali, vice chairman of the board and CEO of RJ, who welcomed the inaugural flight to Aleppo together with a delegation of officials, as saying.
"The move will also provide essential air connections between Syria and the rest of the world," Majali said. ■
