Envoy: Baku–Amman year-round flights under review as tourism ties deepen

Plans to transition seasonal charter flights between Baku and Amman into regular year-round service are still under evaluation, as authorities assess commercial viability following high-level bilateral discussions, Jordan’s ambassador to Azerbaijan said.

“The transition from seasonal charter operations to regular year-round flights between Baku and Amman remains in the assessment and commercial viability evaluation phase, following explicit ministerial-level discussion at the November 26-27, 2025, intergovernmental commission meeting,” Jordanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Omar Barakat Al Nahar said in an interview with Report. 

While the political will has been established, he noted that “no specific launch date for regular year-round service has been announced. But hopefully sooner as opposed to later.”

The ambassador also emphasised that both countries have already laid the institutional groundwork for deeper tourism cooperation, including joint destination marketing initiatives. He pointed to a sharp increase in Jordanian tourist arrivals to Azerbaijan as evidence of market potential.

"Azerbaijan's 49.9 percent growth in Jordanian tourist arrivals in 2025 demonstrates exceptional market responsiveness,” Al Nahar said, adding that the trend shows Jordanian travelers are increasingly receptive to Azerbaijan’s tourism offerings.

He suggested that reciprocal campaigns promoting Jordan to Azerbaijani tourists could yield similar results, especially by leveraging Jordan’s globally recognised attractions.

“Reciprocal campaigns promoting Jordan to Azerbaijani travelers, leveraging Jordan's established tourism brand around Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea coast, could also tap into Azerbaijan's growing outbound tourism market,” he said.

Al Nahar highlighted the close link between air connectivity and tourism growth, noting that discussions on aviation were held alongside the signing of a tourism cooperation framework in November 2025. According to him, tourism authorities have a critical role in generating sufficient demand to support expanded air services.

Beyond air links and marketing, the ambassador underlined opportunities for cooperation in heritage tourism and workforce development. He pointed to Jordan’s experience in managing world-renowned historical sites as a potential model for Azerbaijan.

“Petra receives nearly one million visitors annually and is the second most visited tourist attraction globally,” Al Nahar said, noting that Jordan’s expertise could support Azerbaijan as it develops tourism around its UNESCO World Heritage sites and the recently liberated territories in Karabakh.

He also highlighted Jordan’s advanced hospitality education system as another area for collaboration, particularly as Azerbaijan’s tourism sector continues to expand.

“Jordan has also developed a sophisticated hospitality education infrastructure,” he said. “With Azerbaijan experiencing rapid tourism sector growth, it faces hospitality workforce development needs. Joint initiatives could include hospitality management training programs, student/professional exchanges, and more.”

By Sabina Mammadli