Jordan resumes international flights after 6-month virus shutdown

Amman, Sep 8 (efe-epa).- Jordan Tuesday resumed regular international flights to and from 42 countries, almost six months after the coronavirus pandemic forced the kingdom to suspend all commercial travel.

In mid-March, the govrenment halted all flights as part of a series of precautionary measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The Jordanian authorities planned to reopen Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport for international flights in August but delayed it several times.

The decision comes as the country hopes to boost the economy, which is expected to shrink by 3.4 percent this year.

Jordan’s Transport Minister Khalid Saif said that the government is dividing the list of the 42 countries into green, yellow and red categories according to the epidemiological situation there.

Saif added passengers entering the country must provide negative results of a Covid-19 test carried out 72 hours before travel, with another obligatory test to be carried out on arrival.

All passengers will need to isolate for seven days at home or government-run camps depending on where they are coming from.

Resuming flights with the world will be conducted “tentatively,” according to Saif.

“In the first week, we will receive between three and four flights, which could be raised to eight flights in the second week and so on,” he said.

Some of the countries listed are yet to resume international flights, such as Saudi Arabia.