(AFP, AMMAN) - The privately owned Israeli airline Arkia will begin flights next month between Tel Aviv and Amman, making it the third airline to connect the two countries, the head of Jordan's aviation authority said Monday.
The new flights fall under a transportation agreement signed in January 1996 between Jordan and Israel and leave the door open for more flights connecting the two states, said Jihad Rsheid, quoted by Jordan's official Petra news agency.
Arkia will for now run two flights a week between the two countries, although the frequency could increase later, said Roey Gilaad, spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Amman.
The Israeli air carrier El Al already runs two flights a week between Tel Aviv and Amman, while the Jordanian airline Royal Wings has nine flights a week between the two cities and another three linking Amman and Haifa.
Many Israelis travel to Amman to connect onto Royal Jordanian flights to the Far East, which are often less expensive than flights on Israeli airlines.
Royal Jordanian does not offer a service to Israel.
© Agence France-Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
