QAIA’s GDP contribution stood at 8.9% in 2019 — report

AMMAN — Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), in a press statement on Monday, announced it had received more than 2.3 million tourists in 2019, which contributed JD2.9 billion to the national economy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

According to the results of a study on the airport's economic impact on the national economy, the airport’s direct and indirect economic contribution amounted to about 

8.9 per cent of the Kingdom’s 2019 GDP.

More than JD2.55 billion comprised the airport’s contribution to GDP while government revenues from the airport for the same year amounted to JD542 million.

The study, conducted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Scientific Institute for Economic Research in Amsterdam and Ipsos in Jordan, stressed the importance of Queen Alia International Airport in facilitating economic growth, providing job opportunities and increasing government revenues.

The study results indicated that the airport provided about 238,000 job opportunities, noting that the Airport International Group provided job opportunities for more than 400 male and female employees in 2019, the majority of whom were Jordanians. The number of employees of other relevant authorities at the airport reached about 16,500 male and female employees, according to the study. 

CEO of Airport International Group Nicolas Claude said that the study’s figures confirm the vital role the airport plays as the main entry point to the Kingdom. He highlighted how the airport advances leisure, commercial and medical tourism by connecting major destinations around the world through its growing network of airlines.

He highlighted the positive effects Queen Alia International Airport has on the national economy and society in Jordan. The CEO added that these effects would not have been possible without support from the various teams, partners and stakeholders involved.

The CEO stressed that the Airport International Group continually adopts best practices to preserve energy and the environment. The airport is a national, regional and global leader in environmental management and the first carbon-neutral airport in the Middle East, according to the CEO.

Since the Airport International Group assumed the management of QAIA’s operations in 2007, the airport has made significant improvements to enhance passenger movement and numbers. The study showed an increase in air traffic of 132 per cent until 2019.

QAIA alone accounts for more than 97 per cent of all passengers travelling to and from Jordan.