New X-ray security check adopted at Queen Alia airport

AMMAN — A new additional security check has been recently adopted at the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) before passengers reach airline counters, an airport official said Thursday.

The QAIA security department ordered the installation of the new X-ray machine, and the Airport International Group (AIG) — the Jordanian company responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of QAIA — applied it in its capacity as operator, said Zahia Nasan, corporate communications director at QAIA.

"The new procedure will not affect operations administration at the airport and will not result in any delays for passengers," Nasan told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Administration personnel will be present at the airport to offer assistance should passengers need any, she added.

Commenting on when passengers should arrive ahead of their scheduled flight, Nasan noted that "some airlines have called on their clients to come three hours in advance to avoid any delays that could result after the installation of the new machine".

The AIG has not issued anything in this regard, the official said, adding that it is just a decision made by some airlines.

Between January and the end of November 2015, QAIA’s overall year-to-date (YTD) passengers reached 6,562,634, registering a slight drop of 0.4 per cent when compared to the same period of 2014, according to an AIG statement.

Aircraft movement figures have also registered a YTD decrease of 2.6 per cent, while QAIA’s cargo traffic figures continued to rise, experiencing a YTD growth of 6.7 per cent, totalling 90,928 tonnes during the first 11 months in 2015, the statement added.

In November alone, QAIA welcomed 447,610 passengers, signalling a 4.5 per cent increase in comparison with 428,270 travellers the airport received in the same period in 2014.

In addition, QAIA handled 8,612 tonnes of cargo as opposed to 7,860 tonnes during November 2014, bringing a 9.6 per cent rise, the statement added. 

The airport registered 5,173 aircraft movements compared with 5,125 in November 2014, marking a minor increase of 0.9 per cent.

Nasan expected full year statistics to be released around mid-January.