PM urges sound planning for national carrier’s future

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Monday headed a meeting of the Cabinet’s economic team that focused on the performance of Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ).

The ministerial taskforce listened to a briefing from Chairman of RJ’s Board of Directors Said Darwazeh and RJ's General Manger and CEO Stefan Pichler on the company's plans and projects to overcome financial challenges it is going through, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Darwazeh stressed that RJ's plan for the next five years will be enough for steering the national carrier towards the future in line with the highest international standards and enhancing its capabilities to be able to effectively compete with rivals in the industry.

He added that the company had already embarked on taking measures that focus on good administration of the airline and its stations, in addition to lowering expenditures and increasing revenues.

Pichler noted that the company's plan contributed to achieving a "remarkable" progress towards implementing goals that aim at overcoming RJ's challenges.

Mulki stressed that the government “expects well-structured and ambitious plans for the company in the next phase, when it would be able to overcome all challenges and make profits”.

The premier said that the government will support the company as long as it takes the right decisions to surmount challenges and turn them into opportunities and profits, and that RJ has to act within a competitive work programme.

He also stressed the importance for the company to reconsider its routes and low-profit stations, and to increase its flights to destinations that ensure more competitiveness to RJ.

Members of the government team expressed their opinions on the issue and proposed procedures to be taken to overcome such challenges.