Air Serbia operates Beirut repatriation flight

NEWS FLASH

Air Serbia performed a flight between Belgrade and Beirut yesterday on behalf of the Serbian Ministry for Foreign Affairs to evacuate people from conflict-hit Lebanon. The airline deployed an Airbus A319 aircraft. “A total of 47 Serbian citizens and eleven members of their immediate families, as well as thirty foreign citizens, were evacuated”, Serbia’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Milan Trojanović, said. He added, “Approximately half of the Serbian citizens in Lebanon decided to stay in the country for private or business reasons. We have tried to provide the best comfort to the evacuees and have also transported their pets”. Last year, Air Serbia operated evacuation flights from Tel Aviv as well following the outbreak of war in Gaza. All foreign airlines have discontinued scheduled flights to and from Beirut, although Lebanon’s flag carrier, Middle East Airlines, continues to maintain a limited network out of the country. A number of countries have organised repatriation flights for their citizens this week.