The total economic contribution of the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) to Jordan’s gross domestic product exceeded JOD2.5 billion ($3.52 billion) (approximately 8.9%) in 2019, a report said.

Meanwhile, JOD542 million of government revenue was supported by QAIA, added the report titled “Queen Alia International Airport Economic and Social Impact Study” by Airport International Group (AIG). The study, which AIG commissioned, was conducted throughout 2020 by International Air Transport Association (IATA) Consulting - together with applied economic research expert SEO Amsterdam Economics and market research specialist Ipsos Jordan.

In terms of job creation, Airport International Group employed over 400 employees in 2019 - 99% of whom are Jordanians - while other airport stakeholders comprised nearly 16,500 employees. Within the larger QAIA ecosystem, the airport also supported over 238,000 direct and indirect jobs across the Jordanian economy.

In 2019, more than 2.3 million tourists arrived in Jordan by air, spending JOD2.9 billion on the national economy. These figures reiterated the vital role of QAIA - as the main entry point to the Kingdom - in promoting local leisure, business and medical tourism by enhancing connectivity to major destinations worldwide via its growing airline network.

The study also highlighted the substantial improvements QAIA has made in bolstering passenger capacity and traffic. Since the Jordanian company Airport International Group assumed the responsibility of managing the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of QAIA in 2007, air traffic until 2019 increased by 132%, with QAIA alone welcoming over 97% of total passengers to and from Jordan.

In addition to its diverse corporate social responsibility initiatives – which helped empower the communities surrounding QAIA -Airport International Group continually deployed best environmental and energy conservation practices that positioned QAIA as a national, regional and global leader in environmental management and the first carbon-neutral airport in the Middle East.

“Following the release of the study findings, we will continue our efforts to maintain the positive impacts that QAIA has had on the national economy and social fabric of Jordan,” commented Airport International Group CEO, Nicolas Claude.

“Of course, these outcomes would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our various teams, partners and stakeholders. For that, I extend my sincerest gratitude for not only helping to establish QAIA as an international award-winning airport and the Kingdom’s prime gateway to the world, but also as a national landmark of which Jordanians can always be proud.” – TradeArabia News Service