Croatia Airlines and Air Serbia are continuing to conduct evacuation flights for stranded citizens in the Middle East.
Croatia Airlines operated an initial repatriation flight to Dubai on Thursday using its Airbus A319 aircraft, registered 9A-CTN. The service included a refuelling stop in Heraklion, Greece, in both directions. The aircraft transported 157 passengers to Zagreb, including eleven babies. Yesterday, the same aircraft operated a nonstop flight to Riyadh, primarily aimed at repatriating Croatian nationals stranded in Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The jet returned to Zagreb later that evening. “The Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs stand ready, depending on the development of the situation and needs on the ground, to organise additional repatriation flights from Dubai and Riyadh in the coming days”, the government said in a statement.
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| Croatia Airlines crew on Riyadh repatriation flight |
Air Serbia deployed its A330-200 aircraft, registered YU-ARC, to Dubai on Friday, bringing back 262 passengers and fourteen infants. Today, the airline will operate another rescue flight to Dubai with its A330-200, registered YU-ARE, this time to the city’s second airport - Al Maktoum International - located between Abu Dhabi and downtown Dubai. Tomorrow, the airline will operate two evacuation flights to Riyadh with its A320 aircraft, aimed at Serbian nationals stranded in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Earlier this week, the airline also deployed an Embraer E195 jet to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt for citizens stranded in Israel. “In light of the newly emerging circumstances involving heightened security risks, Air Serbia will continue, in cooperation with the relevant institutions of the Republic of Serbia, to organise the return of Serbian citizens to the country and take all necessary measures to ensure their safety, which remains the absolute priority of both the Republic of Serbia and its national airline”, Air Serbia said in a statement.
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| Air Serbia crew on Dubai repatriation flight |
Well done
ReplyDeleteWell done WHAT? in Croatia we cannot provide medical treatment for children, they instead organized telephone lines with special tariffs in order to collect money. On the other hand they posture with such visible rescue actions of docile tourists...
DeleteI'm surprised the A319 could not make it without a stop to Dubai when it flew out empty.
ReplyDeleteThe distance between Zagreb and Dubai is roughly 4,100-4,200 kilometres, which is already close to the practical operational range of an A319 once reserves are included. This is without airspace restrictions. Now, since they can't fly directly to Dubai but via Egypt and then into Saudi Arabia it extends the time.
DeleteThis shows the value of flag carriers. Ryanair pilots would be scared of flying into a conflict zone!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely ridiculous comment.
DeleteCroatia Airlines operated just two repatriation flights while Trade Air, who are not a flag carrier but a private airline, are running rescue flights left right and centre. And they have a much smaller fleet!
Even flyDubai operated 4 flights in one day (Friday) to Zagreb.
@Anon 09:03: By that logic OU pilots are afraid to fly aircraft and are more than 50% full, too.
DeleteWhat a ridiculous take.
Croatia isn't using A220s because they aren't insured for ops outside European continent
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Was wondering why they didn't send the A220.
DeleteLol.
DeleteOne more proof of what I've been saying repeatedly:
DeleteA220 is consequence of highly corruptive BCG deal intended to keep OU permanently in function of LHG feeder. No insurance except Europe clearly proves they have no intention to widen and organize their own network, despite slightly bigger fleet unit number
Wtf??? Not insured outside of european ops? What a disaster I knew something was wrong when they didn’t operate A220 on repatriation flights but this is just horrible. I don’t think OU will be able to survive like this this is truly the final nail in the coffin
DeleteThe BS people believe just because the want to believe it is astounding...
DeleteBetter to use an older A319 if damaged not a dramatique than using a new airplane if you have the choice.
DeleteOn those flights even the cabin suffers....
The EU is always tying the hands of Croatian airlines. We are only allowed to be a feeder for the bigger companies like LF.
DeleteIt has nothing to do with EU. On the contrary, EU offers unlimited possibilities on its huge and rich market. And lot of old and new members, richer and poorer, smaller and bigger, take advantage of those possibilities and have strong flag carriers, for example Poland, Latvia, Greece, Portugal...Problem in Croatia is not EU which limits it, but partitocracy tied with Mafia which deliberately prevents OU from being bigger, better and even profitable, and keep it low as LHG feeder, for personal benefits of certain Mafia and Party members in return
DeleteGood to see both Croatia Airlines and Air Serbia stepping in quickly. Situations like this show why having a national airline can still be strategically important.
ReplyDeleteA chartered works also nicely.
DeleteWhy is the second JU flight to DWC instead of DXB? Strategically for Abu Dhabi residents or it's safer?
ReplyDeleteProbably both. Maybe there is no slot availability at DXB since it is Sunday and airport is still heavily restricted.
DeleteThese evacuation flights must be incredibly expensive to operate. I assume governments are covering the costs?
ReplyDeleteOf course. They are chartered by the two governments.
DeleteДа ли ће ти путници да плате нешто ? Барем да покрију трошкове лета.
DeleteНије их Р.Србија послалла тамо.
Izgleda da nece platiti nista; to su politicke igre i marketing; danas je bivsa teniserka broj jedan zahvalila predsedniku na spasavanju i letu….
DeleteBljak
DeleteRespect to the crews operating these missions.
ReplyDeleteKo je sta mogao i imao, to je i poslao za pitnike u nevolji. Velika radost i zadovoljstvo, videti avio kompanije i ovaim misijama. Veseliji Vaskrs ce biti za mnoge...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure OU got some decent money from the tax payers, sorry government to operate these flights
ReplyDeleteWell it makes sense. These flights are chartered by the government (in both countries)
DeleteCroatia Airlines can't land in Dubai, they don't have the range.
ReplyDeleteLet me just add a bit to your comment: it's not only range they don't have. They don't have brains to earn money, they don't have guts to say no to corrupt politicians and mafiosos who prevent them from the growth, and they don't have feel of shame as they accept the role of humiliated feeder on the biggest and most prospective ex-yu market served by 80 airlines and having 13 % of the market
DeleteThats capitalism and wonky democracy my friend.
DeleteNo it is not. It is worse than during Yugoslavia. Much worse. JAT was profitable and self-sustaining 1980-1990. Croatia Airlines is major loss maker and kept alive by public money. Nothing related to it is transparent. It is full of corruption. It has politically appointed "management ". Absolutely impossible in capitalism and "demokracy", even wonky (which democracy btw doesn't exist any more, anywhere)
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteRead above
DeletePIR cope harder.
DeleteRead above above
DeleteI imagine many people were extremely relieved when they saw those flights appear.
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteInteresting to see Air Serbia deploying the A330 for evacuation missions. The capacity clearly makes a big difference in these situations.
ReplyDeleteCould the A320 even make it?
DeleteFinally a new pic for JU+OU articles :D I like it
ReplyDeleteAny photos of the JU A330 at Al Maktoum?
ReplyDeleteIf this is YU-ARC on the picture, I guess economy cabin is refurbushed as well? We have a confirmation for business, in today's trip report.
ReplyDeleteYes this is YU-ARC.
DeleteThe seat colours and antimacassars (head rest covers) look extremely smart and fresh indeed.
DeleteHeroes. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWhy wasn't JU deployed to collect the Croatian citizens as well?!
ReplyDeleteMaybe because Yugoslavia as single country doesn't exist any more for some 30+ years?
DeletePeople as neighbours still exist they did not move to Mars…
DeleteWhy would it pick up Croatian citizens when, as you may have noticed if you bothered reading the article, the reparation flights are full.
Delete