NEWS FLASH
Budget airline Ryanair is considering introducing flights between Malta and Niš Constantine the Great Airport during the summer of 2017. According to Niš Airport's General Manager, Vladica Djurdjanović, discussions between Serbian and Maltese local authorities, as well as Ryanair, are currently under way. "A significant number of people from southern Serbia live and work in Malta and this service would be profitable. Business representatives from the town of Leskovac have reached an agreement with the mayor of one Maltese city and have entered negotiations with Ryanair". The no frills carrier boasts an operational base in Malta. The budget airline will launch its first of four new routes to Niš on September 4. Air Serbia currently maintains three weekly flights between Belgrade and Malta on a seasonal summer basis.
They were probably reading comment section of this blog, where someone argued there is a "huge south Serbian diaspora in Malta". :D
ReplyDeletehahaha omg yes ... almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's deep psychological sh*t you got right there. :)
Delete+1000
DeleteLOL!
I remember that thread, it was hilarious.
Lol yeah I remember that comment hahah so funny and hilarious...
DeleteIf I am not mistaken this would be the first time FR will be directly competing with JU by flying to the same airport and by attracting the same kind of passengers.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia's, just like Jat's, route to Malta mostly relies on the Serbian diaspora and holidaymakers. Will be interesting to see how low JU goes if they end up competing with FR.
Maybe to the same airport, but not from the same airport :-)
DeleteCould you please elaborate the serbian diaspora question on Malta? When did they moved? What are they doing there? Numbers? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can see is that there are around 1.100 Serbs in Malta, most of them moved there during the 1990s.
DeleteHowever, I know for a fact that a lot more live there since they are working illegally and are undocumented.
With Ryanair's prices and with Malta's tourism potential they could easily operate two weekly flights. Don't forget that INI has reported quite a few passengers from Belgrade.
I am sure that the last thing the undocumented would want to do is do a boarder crossing and risk not getting back into the country...
DeleteSo, 1.100 in "huge diaspora"?
DeleteIn Maltese terms yes. Also, it's a big enough diaspora to warrant direct flights.
Delete1150 only in Birkirkara,i do work t the Maltese will not work, construction, cleaning,It would be nice to line Niš-Malta start work, believe me it is not easy to be in a foreign country where you all look like a criminal and war criminal, we are not like that meet our nation may change your opinion
DeleteSignificant Serbian diaspora: numerous service staff working off the books and not paying taxes. It doesn't qualify for the subsidies Ryanair love so much so it will be up to Nis/Serbia to cough up the dough.
ReplyDeleteOk, I found some numbers: around 1.100 Serbs, apparently the biggest non EU community on the island. They came during the Balkan wars and now working predominantly in the construction sector. Didn't know this.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that both Malta and Yugoslavia (Serbia) were part of the non-aligned movement so I am sure it had something to do with that.
DeleteThere are many people from Serbia who are working in hotels. I couldn't believe that in my hotel Serbian langauage could have been heard everywhere (reception, bar, restaurant, cleaners etc...)
DeleteThere are a lot more Serbs and Macedonians working "na crno". When I was flying from Sofia more than half of the plane were Serbs, most of our hotel staff and many waiters on the island were speaking Serbo-Croatian. Theres definitely 10s of thousands of Serbs working there in the summer.
Delete10s of thousands. That is around 10% of Malta population than? HHAHAHAHA...
Delete4000 it's 10% of Malta
DeleteThey are not part of the "population of Malta", they are seasonal workers. There are a lot more people in Malta in the summer than the official population number.
DeleteTo all lads.you didn't count paople from Kosovo. Macedonia.Bulgaria.
ReplyDeleteThey are all in vicinity of Niš airport.2 hours max by car
Kosovo it's part of Serbia don't forget
DeleteI know more than 30 ppl working currently down there, and all off them are from Nis or nearby towns, so for me this announcement make sense
ReplyDeleteI can tell you there are in excess of 15K Serbs..not to mention Macedonians, Bulgarians..by the way Im Maltese and would be really glad to see this service to Nis...I would return gladly
ReplyDelete