Drop in passengers and cargo at Jordan’s Queen Alia airport

Passenger traffic at Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) stood at nearly 2 million in the first three months of 2026, a year-on-year decline of more than 7 percent.  

Airport International Group (AIG), which operates Queen Alia International, said passenger numbers for March were down 47 percent compared to February, reaching 370,300, following the start of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Cargo traffic was down 61 percent in March compared to February, AIG said in a statement. Aircraft movement fell 39 percent. 

Total aircraft movements declined 4 percent year on year to 16,895 in the first quarter. QAIA handled 14,501 tonnes of air cargo, down 27 percent from the previous year. 

Despite the challenges, QAIA said it focused on expanding Jordan’s global reach in collaboration with flag carrier Royal Jordanian. Four routes were launched in the first quarter, connecting Amman with Misrata, Libya; Munich and Hamburg, Germany; and Sharjah, the UAE.

Royal Jordanian cancelled 32 percent of its 2,367 flights in the first month of the conflict, according to data issued by aviation analytics company Cirium on March 27. 

Royal Jordanian, 95 percent owned by the Jordanian government, reported an annual increase in first-quarter losses, citing higher fuel costs after flights were rerouted.  

The ongoing challenges facing the aviation sector have negatively impacted the company’s financial results, CEO Samer Majali said.

• War is ‘short-term blip’, says Menzies Aviation
• Iran conflict dents traffic at Oman’s busiest airport
• Iran war lifts business for Dubai-based cargo carrier SolitAir