The Jordanian Aqaba is to get its own low-cost airline with Fly Aqaba. This is to start with initially two unspecified medium-haul jets and primarily bring more tourists to the city on the Red Sea.

Eilat-Ramon Airport is on one side of the border and Aqaba Airport is within sight - behind a border fence. Two airports that were built right next to each other, because for political reasons, crossing the border by land is extremely expensive. Entry and exit and possibly also visa fees must be paid to Israel or Jordan. Both airports do not have a particularly high level of air traffic. Incidentally, there is a third airport just a few minutes' drive away, namely in the small seaside resort of Taba in Egypt. This has even less traffic than its competitors in Israel and Jordan. The border crossing from Israel to Egypt (and vice versa) is also chargeable on both sides for political reasons.

Akaba and Eilat have been courting tourists for many years and subsidizing airlines in the process. This is the only way to make extremely cheap ticket prices possible. For example, Wizz Air repeatedly sold tickets from Vienna to Eilat for just one euro. The carrier moved its offer to Aqaba for the upcoming winter season. The decision should not only depend on subsidies, but also on the fact that Jordan practices simpler entry regulations, which should ultimately have a positive effect on demand.

Now a private consortium wants to take air traffic into their own hands. The partnership agreement for the establishment of Fly Aqaba was signed on Sunday. Investors from Jordan and Saudi Arabia are to provide around 17 million euros in start-up capital, according to an official announcement by the President of the Special Supervisory Authority of the Akaba Special Economic Zone.

No specific information has yet been given about the goals. It was only announced that it should primarily go to Europe, the Arab region and the capital Amman. No specific start date was given either, because the project is still in its infancy. In any case, the new carrier should be positioned aggressively in terms of price, because the aim is to bring as many tourists as possible to Aqaba.