Civil Aviation Authority irks Jordan

New CAA directives hinder Royal Jordanian Airlines' winter schedules. Company says directives 'hostile'; aviation sources warn of brewing diplomatic crisis

Reuters | Published: 10.25.10, 10:13

Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJA) claims that the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority is hindering its winter schedule, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.

RJA said that the Aviation Authority has yet to approve the submitted flight schedule between Amman and Ben Gurion International Airport.

An Israeli source familiar with the particulars warned that a diplomatic crisis may be brewing, as Jordan views the situation as "hostile move" and "a direct infringement on the to nations' financial ties."

Royal Jordanian Airlines' Amman-Israel line has 14 weekly flights. RJA asked to up the number to 17 flights, due to the line's popularity. Many connection flights to the Far East leave from Amman, increasing the line's popularity further.

According to Debora Bruchstein, Royal Jordanian Airlines' representative in Israel, RJA can shuttle some 1,500 passengers a week, but the Aviation Authority has recently begun "counting seats instead of passengers," meaning how many seats the flights have, instead of how many people are on actually on each flight.

As a result, Bruchstein told the newspaper, "We can only operate seven flights a week – not even the usual 14. It is absurd."

This is the first time that the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority has been so strict, she added, saying she believed "we are the only airline where they count seats instead of passengers on flights to Israel."

RJA has appealed to Giora Rom, head of Israel's Civil Aviation Authority, asking he reconsidered the policy, but according to Bruchstein, he has yet to respond.

The matter, she said, has now been transferred to the Jordanian transportation minister. "This has turned into a diplomatic issue and Jordan is angry."