Ammon News - The "strategic" King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) is Jordan's air gate and the "pivotal" lever of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) project, which receives King's attention and follow-up, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, CEO of the Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority (CARC), Haitham Mesto, said.

Mesto, at a press conference on Tuesday, in Aqaba, said CARC is the legislator and observer entity that seeks to keep pace with development and modernization in the aviation sector and air transport of passengers and goods.

CARC also constantly follows up the airport's operational procedures and operations to achieve the "highest" level of security, safety and facilitation for aircraft and passengers, he said.

During 2022, he announced the airport received 200,000 passengers (PAX), marking an increase of 78%, compared to previous year.

This figure includes 33,000 passengers on low-cost flights of EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air that connect Aqaba with 22 European destinations and cities on regular weekly flights, he noted, adding that the first flight from Poland's Warsaw landed at the airport today with a tourist group on board.