Jordan’s national carrier will decide during the first quarter (Q1) of next year the manufacturer that will supply the 23 aircrafts it needs to revamp and expand its fleet, CEO of the airline told Reuters in an interview.
Three manufacturers, namely Airbus (AIR.PA), Boeing (BA.N), and Embraer (EMBR3.SA) have submitted bids for the order by Royal Jordanian RJAL.AM.
“I think right now it’s a head to head race … and the best offer will win,” Stefan Pichler said in the interview in Cairo.
“We’ll probably make a call in the first quarter of 2019.”
The value of the order has not been disclosed but it will enable the airline to replace and expand its existing fleet made of 19 Airbus A320 family aircraft and Embraer 195 and 175s, Reuters reports.
The carrier has returned to profitability last year after years of reported losses. A restructuring program yielded $14.4 million in the first nine months of last year.
The profit is set to be steady this year according to Pichler.
“If we had the same fuel prices as last year we would now be operating with a huge profit margin, but that’s life,” he said.
In terms of growth Royal Jordanian intends to focus on the Middle East’s Levant market as the Middle East region aviation market is dominated by Emirates and Qatar Airways.
