Amman, Jan. 9 (Petra)-- Amman’s Marka Airport recently rebranded as Amman City Airport is undergoing a strategic transformation that restores its role within Jordan’s civil aviation system, as part of a broader vision to boost competitiveness, expand capacity, and attract low-cost carriers, easing pressure on Queen Alia International Airport.

According to a report published by Aljaweea, a specialized aviation news outlet covering the Middle East and North Africa, the airport dates back to 1920 and witnessed significant development by 1950, when it became a joint military-civilian facility.

A decisive turning point came in 1983. With the emergence of wide-body aircraft requiring longer runways and larger operational spaces, Jordan’s main international gateway shifted to Queen Alia International Airport. Since then, Marka Airport’s role diminished, becoming what the report described as a "ghost from the jet age," limited largely to Royal Jordanian’s flight training operations and small-scale private aviation.

That period of quiet officially ended on 30 November 2025, when the Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission granted Jordan Airports Company a formal license to operate civil flights from the airport.
As part of the government’s Economic Modernization Vision, the facility was renamed Amman City Airport a move that goes beyond rebranding to signal a comprehensive restructuring of Jordan’s aviation landscape. The new strategy is based on a dual-airport system, transforming a traditionally high-cost aviation model into a competitive regional hub by leveraging an existing national asset and unlocking additional capacity of up to one million passengers annually.

The airport’s new role focuses on serving low-cost airlines and regional traffic, which require lower fees and faster turnaround times. Its proximity to downtown Amman further enhances its appeal, while helping relieve congestion at Queen Alia International Airport, which has higher operating costs.

Significant infrastructure upgrades have been completed. The runway extended in the 1970s to 3,286 meters has undergone full rehabilitation to meet modern safety standards. Crucially, the airport is now certified to handle aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 80 tons, making it ideally suited for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft widely used by low-cost carriers.

The regulatory framework was finalized with the entry into force of Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Amendment No. 24/25 on 25 December 2025, updating global navigation charts and officially designating the airport as OJAM AD – Amman City Airport (ADJ | OJAM) a clear signal of readiness to the international aviation community.

The airport’s commercial viability was confirmed on 29 December 2025, when Jordan Airports Company CEO Ahmed Azzaam signed a memorandum of understanding with Jazeera Airways CEO Barathan Pasupathi. Under the agreement, Jazeera Airways will become the first airline to operate scheduled flights from Amman City Airport starting in the second half of January 2026, offering a streamlined, cost-efficient travel experience away from the congestion of major hubs.

This move aims to further ease pressure on Queen Alia International Airport, which will remain Jordan’s primary gateway for long-haul and international flights, while Amman City Airport specializes in short-haul services from the Levant and Gulf region.

The Jazeera Airways deal is only the beginning of a broader vision. The airport has already drawn interest from several major low-cost carriers, including Wizz Air, Ryanair, flynas, and Air Cairo. Its appeal lies in lower operating costs and easy access to central Amman, with expectations that several airlines will shift short-haul routes from Queen Alia to Amman City Airport by summer 2026.

The operating company aims to reach one million passengers annually by the end of 2026, increasing capacity to 1.5 million passengers by 2027.

To minimize the impact on residents of the Marka area, the airport will initially operate daytime flights only, reflecting a commitment to sustainability and urban harmony.

Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan has described the airport’s reopening as a key objective of Jordan’s national modernization project a story of revival in which an old runway proves that what once belonged to the past can be reborn through strategic vision. In doing so, the ghosts of history give way to a pragmatic economic future, with Amman City Airport once again emerging as an active player in Jordan’s skies.

//Petra// MF

09/01/2026 21:20:18