“QAIA has enjoyed a record-breaking summer season,” confirmed Kjeld Binger, CEO, Airport International Group (AIG), highlighting that in July and August, the airport not only surpassed 2014’s benchmarks, but also achieved its highest passenger traffic statistics for those months in its history.

“We also enjoyed increased numbers for the third consecutive month in September, with passenger traffic totalling 708,429, a 15.3 percent increase compared to September 2014,” he revealed.

QAIA recently welcomed Ukraine International Airlines and Air Arabia Jordan, both of which opened up new markets. Binger highlighted the importance of the low-cost market for QAIA and for Jordan in general, given its role as a vital contributor to tourism.

“These developments all come amidst our ongoing efforts to expand our airline network and to develop route incentive schemes that encourage airlines to operate flights through QAIA,” Binger revealed. “By stimulating traffic growth at the Kingdom’s prime aviation gateway, we aim to not only establish new routes to global destinations, but also to position Jordan as a dynamic transit hub for business, leisure and investment within the region.”

AIG primarily does this through aggressive marketing initiatives, the advocacy of an open skies policy and incentives offered at QAIA, specifically tailored to newly established flights.

On a similar note, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) is also known to support the tourism sector through incentives for incoming tour operators as well as representatives of the media. The carrier recently offered 140 free tickets to Jordan Tourism Board to invite international journalists to the country, and has help helped encourage social media experts and bloggers to promote Jordan abroad.

The country’s flag carrier registered a year-on-year surge of 236 percent in net profits for the first nine months of the year, with Suleiman Hafez, chairman, RJ, attributing the results to the company’s five-year strategic plan.