Ammon News - Low-cost airlines have begun gradually resuming flights to Jordan from Europe, the head of the Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC), Captain Haitham Misto, said on Sunday.

Hungary’s Wizz Air has restarted operations with two weekly flights from Budapest, while Ryanair will resume flights from Sept. 20, beginning with two destinations and expanding to 16 European routes from Oct. 28 for the winter season, according to Misto.

Three other budget carriers are also studying the launch of regular services between Europe and Jordan, he added. The CARC has already granted Ryanair approval to operate a full winter schedule to 16 cities.

Explaining the licensing process, Misto said airlines apply to CARC to be designated as foreign operators in Jordan, supported by requests from their national aviation authorities under bilateral air transport agreements. Operators are then required to submit documentation to secure seasonal flight permits.

He noted that each carrier is granted two seasonal operating authorisations annually winter (Oct. 28 to Mar. 27) and summer (Mar. 28 to Oct. 27) though companies may choose to run services year-round or for a single season. He stressed that low-cost flights are open to all travellers, not limited to tourists.

Passenger numbers via budget airlines fell last year, with 344,781 arrivals to Jordan in 2024 on Ryanair and Wizz Air, compared with 885,547 in 2023 when six carriers were active, according to CARC data. Petra