In Photos: Royal Jordanian's First A320neo Delivery

TOULOUSE — This week, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo from aircraft leasing company Avolon.

The delivery ceremony took place at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse, France. Airways was on board the new aircraft at the delivery ceremony.

This A320neo is the first of 20 for the airline. Eight A320neo planes need to be delivered to the Jordanian national airline within the next twelve months.

This order is part of RJ's fleet renewal plan, which also includes Airbus A321neo.

Delivery Ceremony

The delivery ceremony began with speeches from special guests representing Airbus, Royal Jordanian, Pratt & Whitney, and numerous other organizations. From Airbus, Gabriel Sémelas, President of Airbus in Africa and the Middle East, Samer Majali, President of Royal Jordanian, and Andy Cronin, President of Avolon.

Gabriel Sémelas recalled the long partnership between Airbus and Royal Jordanian that goes back to the early days of the A320 program: “At Airbus we take great pride in building and doing partnership with Royal Jordanian, that goes back for many years [...] Royal Jordanian was the first A320 operator in the region”.

The CEO of Royal Jordanian also took part in the speeches, thanking Airbus, Avolon, and Pratt & Whitney, their largest aircraft leasing partner and engine supplier, respectively, for their long-standing partnership.

He also mentioned the airline's plans for the future after the pandemic and the new chapter ahead. “We were starting the airline after COVID, and our job was to do two things: number one, fix the financial situation of the airline; [...] and the other one was also to take steps back and think about developing the airline and improving.” 

According to Mr. Majali, Royal Jordanian will utilize the development happening in the region, the return of tourism to Jordan and the local area, to grow and expand its operations.

Representing Jordan in France, Her Excellency Leena Al-Hadid, Ambassador of Jordan to France, highlighted the pleasure and pride of Jordan in receiving this new aircraft, considering the tensions in this part of the world. “We come from a part of the world where there is so many problems [...] but to have an occasion like this is so uplifting; it gives us a lot of hope, and RJ for us as Jordanian, is a symbol of our national pride [...] with this delivery and the partnerships has made over the years and having that come to this day, people back home will be happy to see this.”

“GTF engines saved 1.7 billion gallons of fuel [...] that's pretty good stuff for sustainability. As the fleet grows to 20 airplanes in the coming years, we are looking forward to providing you (Royal Jordanian) with top-notch support,” says Scott Vincens, General Manager, Sales at Pratt & Whitney. 

Andy Cronin, CEO of Avolon, praised the bravery of the Royal Jordanian teams: “This decision (to lease A320neo airplanes) did not happen six weeks ago [...], this decision making process began actually in 2021 and 2022 and the world was emerging from COVID, but the Royal Jordanian teams had vision to reimagine the airline in a rehabilitation recovered world. And, as a result, we have obtained a head start and economic advantage that we think will build that airline for many years to come.” 

Then, Gabriel Sémelas, Samer Majali, and Andy Cronin signed the delivery contract in front of all the guests and media, as well as exchanged gifts.

The A320neo: Key to Royal Jordanian’s Modernization

The A320neo plays a key role in Royal Jordanian's modernization plan and fleet renewal. It will enable the airline to reduce operational costs and CO2 emissions, while also helping to expand its operations.

Royal Jordanian will benefit from the A320neo's 20% lower fuel burn, as well as reduced CO2 emissions compared to previous-generation Airbus narrowbody aircraft, plus 50% noise reduction, thanks to its Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. 

Also, current pilots trained on A320ceo will easily get their hands on the neo, saving a considerable amount of financial resources for the airline, as the cockpits and systems are similar to the older generation.

Today’s aircraft, registered JY-RAD, is named “Jerash”, a city located in the north region of Jordan. It wears the Royal Jordanian's new revised livery, a dark grey main paint with slight green highlights, as well as the gold, red and green lines of the classic livery, with a more modern curved design. 

A Cabin Optimized for Regional Operations

This particular A320neo features a 180-seat all-economy cabin in a 3-3 configuration, with a few front row seats designated as premium economy, and Airbus Airspace XL bins that offer more storage space for passengers.

Economy seats feature Recaro CL3710 leather seats, equipped with adjustable headrests, and an extensive Safran RAVE IFE system offering USB, USB-C, and jack port connectivity. The IFE systems offer a large selection of movies, TV shows, music, as well as exterior camera and a 3D flight map.

Onboard, passengers can also browse the internet throughout the flight with onboard wifi connectivity.

This cabin was designed for customer comfort and efficient operations across Royal Jordanian’s regional network. Twelve other A320neo will feature a different cabin configuration, this time with business class seats. Furthermore, the A321neo ordered by the airline will receive a premium business class cabin with lie-flat seats.