Royal Jordanian begins Washington Dulles route amid shifts in Middle East air travel

The schedule for the new route is as follows:

- Amman to Dulles: RJ282, 11:45-17:45 (13h block time)

- Dulles to Amman: RJ283, 20:50-15:25+1 (11h 35m)

When United served Amman from May 2022 to August 2024, passengers included those visiting friends and relatives, tourists, US embassy staff, and government travelers. Royal Jordanian will focus on point-to-point passengers mainly comprising diaspora communities and connections over Amman. It does not partner with United.

Booking data indicates that there were approximately 39,000 roundtrip point- to-point passengers between Amman and Dulles in the year up to July 2024.

Royal Jordanian's connectivity across Egypt, the Levant area of the Middle East, and beyond means that flights are scheduled during its main North American bank of flights. This allows for two-way connectivity to cities such as Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah among others.

According to OAG data for summer season scheduling:

- Amman to Chicago O'Hare: daily up to ten weekly

- Amman to Detroit: mainly four weekly

- Amman to Montreal: mainly three weekly

- Amman to New York JFK: four weekly up six weekly

- Amman to Washington Dulles: twice-weekly

With Royal Jordanian's entry into Washington Dulles Airport this year brings a record number of Middle Eastern airlines serving this East Coast airport. Previously high numbers stood at four carriers each year between 2013 and 2024.

The Middle Eastern airlines now include:

- Emirates: daily from Dubai (A380)

- Etihad Airways: daily from Abu Dhabi (787-9)

- Qatar Airways: up double daily from Doha (A350-900/A350-1000/777-300ER)

- Royal Jordanian: twice-weekly (787-8)

- Saudia Airlines; four weekly from Jeddah (777-300ER); three weekly from Riyadh (777-300ER)

As for United Airlines' operations in the Middle East out of its Washington Dulles hub have seen various changes over time with Kuwait flights running between2006 and2016,Dubai between2008and2016.Tel Aviv services operated from 2019 until they were suspended in 2023.United flew non-stop between Washington-Dulles and Ammansince May 2022 but ceased operations by August\ n2024.Asof March21 there are no scheduled Middle Eastern services planned by United out off this hub for 2025.It remains unclear when Tel Aviv flights or any other routes might resume.