Little-known airline to launch brand new flights from two UK airports next month
AN airline Brits may not have heard of is launching two new routes from the UK.
Royal Jordanian Airlines is starting new routes from both Manchester and Stansted Airport.
Connecting the UK to Amman in Jordan, four flights a week will operate from London Stansted from March 3.
And from March 6, three flights a week will operate from Manchester Airport.
The Jordanian airline currently operates flights from London Heathrow to Amman.
However, it will be the first direct flights for the airline from the two new airports.
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Chief commercial officer Karim Makhlouf said: “Our new routes to Manchester and London Stansted will make it easier than ever for tourists from UK to discover Jordan’s incredible wonders.
“Promoting and driving tourism to the Kingdom is a key focus of our new corporate strategy – as is our emphasis on further developing Amman as the primary gateway to the Levant by offering improved connectivity to our broader network."
They added that further plans included increasing their fleet from 24 aircraft to 40 aircraft in the next five years.
Manchester Airport's Managing Director Chris Woodroofe praised the news, saying: "Our ever-growing range of destinations directly connects the people of the region with some of the most exciting and interesting places around the globe – and that now includes Jordan thanks to Royal Jordanian Airlines. "
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And Managing Director of Stansted Airport, Gareth Powell, said: "People from the east of England and London will now have the chance to explore this beautiful country flying from their local airport."
Amman is the capital of Jordan, and while there is a lot to visit there, most people travel through to places such as Petra or Wadi Rum.
The UNESCO Petra is also one of the Wonders of the World, dating back to 300BC and nicknamed the Rose City due to its pink sandstone cliffs.
And Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon, is a huge stretch of red sand desert that has been used as a film location for movies including Star Wars, John Wick and Lawrence of Arabia
The Sun's Travel Reporter Ryan Gray previously visited Petra - here's what you can expect.
And the majority of Jordan remains safe to travel, excluding the border with Syria.
Brits will need a visa, which can be bought on arrival, and must have at least six months left on a passport to enter.
And they aren't the only new flights launching from the UK this year - here are some new airlines to look out for.
Lufthansa City Airlines
Lufthansa's new airline City Airlines is launching this summer.
The new routes will operate from Birmingham and Manchester, flying to Munich.
Tickets will go on sale from April, although prices are yet to be revealed.
Global Airlines
An entirely new airline is hoping to launch its first flights this year.
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Global Airlines hopes to launch the long-haul, transatlantic flights between the UK and the US.
Hoping to start by the end of the year, the flights will connect London to New York and Los Angeles.
