Double delivery: Royal Jordanian gets its first Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321neo

Royal Jordanian has taken delivery of both its first Boeing 787-9 and its first Airbus A321neo within a single 24-hour period, a rare double arrival from both of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers.

While the airline already operates both the 787 and A320neo family aircraft, these are the first of the larger variants to join the fleet.

The Dreamliner was the first to touch down, arriving in Amman at 19:50 on 1 April, while the A321neo landed at 01:19 on 2 April.

Royal Jordanian takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-9

Royal Jordanian ordered four of the larger 787-9 at Dubai Airshow in 20XX, and while the entry into service of this first aircraft has been repeatedly delayed, it will give RJ a significant capacity advantage.

Royal Jordanian already operates seven Boeing 787-8s, with an average age of 11 years. The larger variant adds 42 seats, a 16% capacity increase, accommodating 312 passengers across 32 business class and 280 economy seats versus 270 on the -8.

JY-RBA departed Boeing’s production facility in Charleston, South Carolina, at 01:23 on 1 April, completing the journey to Amman in a single non-stop flight.

Due to regional airspace closures, the widebody crossed the Atlantic and tracked south over central Europe before crossing the Mediterranean and entering Jordanian airspace via Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula — a routing also used by the A321neo on its delivery flight.

Powered by GEnx-1B engines, the aircraft features Royal Jordanian’s updated livery, first unveiled in 2024.

In keeping with the airline’s naming tradition, the -9 has been christened Prince El Hassan bin Talal, after the Jordanian author and member of the royal family. The airframe had been spotted on test flights for the first time in March.

Where will Royal Jordanian’s 787-9 fly?

The 787-9 is central to the airline’s long-haul expansion plans, though its introduction has been revised multiple times.

The carrier initially planned to deploy the type on routes to Paris, Bangkok and Istanbul, before revising those plans to focus on Jeddah, London Heathrow, New York JFK, Baghdad, Medina, Cairo and Dubai. At least one of the newly planned routes remains in question.

As of the latest filing, Royal Jordanian’s 787-9 operations are planned as follows:

Airbus A321neo joins Royal Jordanian’s narrowbody fleet

Royal Jordanian has also taken delivery of its first A321neo.

JY-RAM, named Aqaba, departed the Airbus facility in Hamburg just after 19:00 on 1 April, arriving at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman at 01:19 on 2 April. The aircraft completed its maiden test flight on 11 March, during which it carried the temporary registration D-AVXU.

The narrowbody is configured with 12 business class and 177 economy class seats.

The delivery follows Royal Jordanian’s first A320neo, which joined the fleet in March 2025 and marked the start of a fleet renewal programme supported by aviation finance company Avolon.

In November 2025, Avolon announced an agreement to lease two further A321neos to the carrier, with those aircraft due to arrive in 2027 and 2028. Royal Jordanian said in 2024 that it had three A321neos and 15 A320neos on order in total.

A rare double delivery for Royal Jordanian and its changing fleet

The double deliveries form part of a broader growth programme as Royal Jordanian targets a fleet of 41 aircraft by 2028, serving around 50 current destinations across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

The expansion comes against a difficult regional backdrop, with the fallout from the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran continuing to affect operations across the area.

Samer Majali, Vice Chairman and CEO of Royal Jordanian, commented last year that the new A321neos support the carrier’s “growth strategy across the region and reinforces our commitment to operating one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible fleets in the Middle East. 

“These next-generation aircraft will enhance our guests’ travel experience while advancing our goal to position Amman as the leading gateway to the Levant.”

Featured image: Boeing

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