Jordan operates four international airports. Queen Alia International Airport sits 32 kilometers south of Amman and handles approximately 9 million passengers annually across two terminals. The airport opened in 1983 and underwent terminal expansion completed in 2013 by Foster + Partners, adding 110,000 square meters to Terminal 1. Marka Airport exists within Amman city limits at 9 kilometers from downtown, now primarily serving Royal Jordanian charter flights and limited regional routes after commercial operations shifted to Queen Alia. King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba lies 10 kilometers north of the city center at the Gulf of Aqaba, operating as Jordan's third civilian gateway with European charter connections and cargo operations. Amman Civil Airport at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base handles military and charter flights but lacks scheduled civilian service.
Most international arrivals land at Queen Alia International Airport between 0200 and 0400 or 1400 and 1800, reflecting Gulf carrier wave times from Doha and Dubai. Royal Jordanian operates direct flights from Chicago O'Hare, Detroit, Montreal, and New York JFK to Amman, with European connections through London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Rome Fiumicino. Middle Eastern carriers connect through hubs in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, Beirut, and Istanbul. Low-cost carriers Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Pegasus operate routes from European secondary cities including Milan Bergamo, Budapest, Bucharest, and multiple Turkish airports. Flight frequencies decrease substantially from November through February outside holiday peaks.
Terminal 1 at Queen Alia contains all international operations within a single-level structure measuring 103,000 square meters. Immigration counters occupy the north end after passenger disembarkation from buses or jetways. The terminal maintains 42 immigration booths, with officers processing passport holders from visa-exempt countries in approximately 8 to 15 minutes during off-peak hours and 25 to 45 minutes during Gulf carrier arrival waves between 0200 and 0500. Citizens of the United States, Canada, European Union member states, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei require visas purchased on arrival for 40 Jordanian dinars single-entry or through the online visa portal at least 48 hours before departure. The Jordan Pass bundles visa fees with entry to Petra and other archaeological sites starting at 70 Jordanian dinars, valid if travelers remain in Jordan at least three nights. Diplomatic passport holders from 26 countries enter without visas under bilateral agreements.
Baggage claim operates 16 carousels split between two parallel halls in Terminal 1. Belt assignment appears on overhead screens 5 to 8 minutes after aircraft arrival. Luggage delivery begins 15 to 30 minutes post-landing for narrow-body aircraft and 25 to 45 minutes for wide-body flights. Customs declarations are not required for personal effects and goods below 200 Jordanian dinars in value. Tobacco allowances permit 200 cigarettes and one liter of spirits per adult over 18 years. Jordan bans importation of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices under Ministry of Health regulation 52 of 2015. Prescription medications require original packaging with physician documentation. Customs officers conduct random inspections but rarely detain travelers carrying standard tourist quantities.
Currency exchange counters operate 24 hours in the arrivals hall before customs exit, with Cairo Amman Bank and Bank of Jordan maintaining competing booths. Exchange rates at airport counters typically run 3 to 5 percent below interbank rates published by the Central Bank of Jordan. ATMs from Jordan Ahli Bank, Arab Bank, and Housing Bank for Trade and Finance accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, and Cirrus cards in the arrivals hall and departures level. Daily withdrawal limits range from 300 to 500 Jordanian dinars depending on issuing bank. The Jordanian dinar pegs to the US dollar at 0.709 dinars per dollar, established by the Central Bank of Jordan in 1995 and unchanged since. Credit cards face acceptance primarily at hotels, restaurants in Amman and Petra, and large retailers, while cash remains necessary for taxis, street vendors, small shops, and most tourism sites outside major archaeological parks.
SIM cards from Zain Jordan, Orange Jordan, and Umniah sell at competing kiosks past customs exit in the arrivals hall, operating from 0600 to 2400 daily. Tourist packages start at 10 Jordanian dinars for 5 gigabytes valid 7 days, 20 dinars for 20 gigabytes valid 30 days, and 30 dinars for 50 gigabytes valid 30 days. Activation requires passport presentation and completes within 2 to 5 minutes. Coverage reaches 97 percent of the population according to Telecommunications Regulatory Commission data from 2023, with 4G networks operating across Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea, Jerash, and highway corridors between major sites. Remote areas in the eastern Syrian Desert and portions of Wadi Rum Protected Area receive intermittent 3G signal or no coverage.
The Airport Express Bus operates from Queen Alia International Airport to Amman every 30 minutes from 0630 to 2400, departing from Bay 8 outside Terminal 1 arrivals. The service charges 3.30 Jordanian dinars and reaches Tabarbour station in north Amman in 45 minutes, 7th Circle in west Amman in 55 minutes, and terminates at the downtown Abdali Boulevard bus station after 70 minutes. The bus operates as route number 30 managed by the Land Transport Regulatory Commission under contract with the Greater Amman Municipality. No luggage fees apply for two standard suitcases. Air conditioning functions inconsistently during summer months from June through September.
Metered yellow taxis wait at designated ranks outside Terminal 1 arrivals exit, managed by the Airport Taxi Service Company holding an exclusive concession. Fares to central Amman run 25 to 30 Jordanian dinars on the meter covering approximately 35 to 40 minutes depending on traffic density and final destination neighborhood. Drivers frequently suggest flat rates of 30 to 35 dinars before departure. The meter calculates 0.35 dinars per kilometer after a 2-dinar flag fall according to Land Transport Regulatory Commission tariff schedule 3 updated January 2023. Evening rates between 2200 and 0600 add 25 percent. Taxis to Madaba cost 35 to 40 dinars for 33 kilometers southwest, to the Dead Sea 45 to 50 dinars for 65 kilometers west, and to Petra 150 to 180 dinars for 240 kilometers south, though most visitors rent vehicles for destinations beyond Amman.
Ride-hailing applications Uber and Careem operate from Queen Alia International Airport with pickup from designated zones 50 meters south of the taxi ranks. Uber entered Jordan in 2016 and Careem in 2015, both now functioning legally after regulatory framework establishment in 2018. Rides to Amman city center cost 18 to 25 Jordanian dinars depending on time and demand surge pricing, approximately 20 to 30 percent below standard taxi fares. Drivers arrive within 5 to 12 minutes during daytime hours and 8 to 20 minutes between 0200 and 0600. Both platforms accept credit cards and cash payment, though cash remains preferred by most drivers who report app-based payment delays.