Chaos has gripped the North African country of Libya, a temporary home for thousands of EX-YU nationals working mostly as construction workers, company representatives and hospital personnel. Libyans are revolting against Colonel Muammar el Gaddafi, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for the past 4 decades. Three Jat Airways aircraft were dispatched to Tripoli yesterday to evacuate Serbian and Montenegrin citizens, while B&H Airlines will operate an evacuation flight today.Yesterday morning 3 Jat Airways Boeing B737-300s left Belgrade. The aircraft were expected to have a short stay at Tripoli Airport but were stranded for hours in the city as total chaos ensued at Libya’s main airport. One American who reached Vienna on a flight from Libya told the Associated Press the scene at Tripoli Airport was "total chaos", adding: "The airport was mobbed, you wouldn't believe the number of people”. Jat’s first two flights evacuated mostly women and children. Some 1.500 Serbian nationals reside in Libya working mostly in hospitals and construction sites. The airline has said it is prepared to operate additional evacuation flights to Tripoli if needed. Tonight, the Serbian carrier will operate its scheduled service to Tripoli via Malta, Vladimir Ognjenović, the airline’s CEO confirmed. The flight will operate under its normal routing, Belgrade – Malta – Tripoli – Belgrade.
Meanwhile, the Libyan based Buraq Air planned to operate its scheduled service to Sarajevo last night but the service was cancelled. B&H Airlines originally planned to operate an evacuation flight yesterday but was not granted clearance by the Libyan authorities. Nevertheless, the airline has been granted rights to operate an evacuation flight today with its Airbus A319. Buraq Air will also operate a special service today from Tripoli to Sarajevo.
Croatia Airlines operated a special charter flight to Tripoli on Wednesday night to evacuate its citizens. A Montenegrin naval vessel will evacuate EX-YU nationals from cities such as Benghazi where the airport has been destroyed.
One question, do these passengers count at the end of the year? That is for both Belgrade airport and Jat?
ReplyDeleteNice to see that the old scoreboard in BEG is still in use with unreadable destinations or timings.... same was already 20 years ago
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThey brought people home alive.
That's counts!!!
The Serbian government and JAT Airways did a good job!
ReplyDelete@ anonymous
ReplyDeleteim guessing they will be counted as charter traffic, considering they were flown on charter flights.
@ JU52 BEGLAX
there are many LCD screens that show flights, but this kind of board is more better :) however, i agree, they should fix the board.
There were 11 Macedonians on Bulgarian Government plane together with Croatians, Serbians and Chinese. And only 1 Bulgarian. I am wondering why do you always forget to mention Macedonians? Are they not part of the Ex-Yu region? Is it so difficult to find any info about it? Since your blog is EX-Aviation I think you should do better than this.
ReplyDelete@last anonymous : please stop whining
ReplyDelete(btw. im macedonian too)
I am just wondering why there is no information about about Macedonians. Since you are Macedonian aren't you interested what happened with Macedonian people there? Or you prefer to understand everything about everyone but not for your own country or people? I just asked a question is is to difficult to understand?
ReplyDeletelast anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI suppose that you have television back home so you dont really need ex-yu to tell you what happened. Plus they are reporting from other bigger news agencies, I suppose that they are the ones that forget to mention you.
@Aero
Please, if you can't answer my question do not write obvious annoying stuff.
@JatBEGMEL
thanks
@ Anonymous
ReplyDeleteSorry.
I was just fascinating on first reaction being of that kind.
Anyway, the topic was not on data and figures, but on human drama.
That what is annoying to you, maybe is not some other people.
Actually Buraq Air never made it to Sarajevo. Their flight was cancelled due to "weather situation" in Tripoli. According to Bosnian Foreign Ministry (MVP) flight is rescheduled to Thursday. BH Airlines is planning on operating flight today.
ReplyDeleteBtw whats up with calling Gadaffi for colonel. If he is colonel then I am general. Dictators should be called dictators no matter what fancy title they make up.
Just for some exra information: There are around 5,000 Bosnian Muslims working and living in Libya (construction workers, company reprsentatives, ambassadors and so on). Some have been working there since the 1970's, some came there recently and the ones living there were mainly ones who fled the Communist regime, or fought in the SS Handzar Bosnian Muslim Division and had no place in Yugoslavia! Hope all Bosnians and Herzegovinians are safe there! Pozdrav :-)
ReplyDelete@JATBEGMEL
ReplyDeleteit was just funny since the last time I visited BEG was nearly 21 years ago and one thing I still remember was this board..
I thought since they refurbished Terminal 2, this was upgraded too...
Anonymous @12.26
ReplyDeleteYou post is so silly it would be really hard to match it!
@JU520 BEGLAX
ReplyDeleteI think that those boards are legendary at Belgrade airport and shouldn't be removed ever :) the sound of information change... the look... so big :)
but yeah, definitely one good fix is needed ;)
OT
Croatia Airlines flights from Belgrade are departing at 1050 on Mondays and 1940 on Wednesdays.
I expect more details here 2moro :)
I LOVE TO SEE THOSE BOARDS lol
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @12.26 im still amazed and frightened of your post
JU500,
ReplyDeletewow can I ask where you got the info??
Timetable ZAG-BEG seems like an epic fail
@ boards
ReplyDeleteThey have 4 in Belgrade, 2 near check in and 2 hanging above security and passport control. They work fine although 1 was out of order 2 weeks ago when I was at the airport but they posted a sign saying it’s not working, although judging by the board on the photo it too doesn’t seem to be working fine. Then again there are monitors everywhere so it’s nice they left these as a nostalgic reminder.
@ second last anonymous, I think those are the times for DBV-BEG
ReplyDeleteIsn't there also on board in the arrivals area? Close to the toilets??
ReplyDeleteI hope that JAT also offered to carry other Ex-Yu nationals and not just Serbs. That would be really fantastic and great cooperation. I hope that the same goes for the other Ex-Yu countries' methods of evacuation.
ReplyDeleteJeebusman,
ReplyDeleteI think there are too many serbs in Lybia for Jat alone to take back, even less other nationals.
20th June 2011
ReplyDeleteDBV>BEG 1-3----
1: 09:05/10:15
10:50/11:55
3: 17:55/19:05
19:40/20:45
Flights are to be operated by a Dash-8.
Now, all that I am waiting for is to see what is happening with Dubrovnik Airline.
I still think that two times per week is not enough for a destination like Dubrovnik.
@ Boards@BEG
ReplyDeleteThere are more than 4 boards. 2 large boards above border crossing. 3 small after passport control above duty free. 2 small as well opposite check-in and additional 2 in the arrivals. These are all positioned in T2. additional 3 smaller are set in T1 on the same position where they used to be all the time.
They were made in Italy by company from Udine, and the very same boards with almost similar operating errors but several times larger were positioned at T1 at Malpensa airport in Milan until a year ago when they were finally removed. However it is still possible to see them on some airports in Italy. I haven't been flying from TRS recently to check if they had removed them as well, but Ronchi airport had them too. Another apts where I saw them were BLQ and VRN
I found this blog on stumble upon that had already published the OU flights.
ReplyDeletehttp://aviationoverview.wordpress.com/
^
ReplyDeleteDon't source an article! Our plagirising admin (EX-YU AVIATION) will not be happy if you source anything, as only he (it) is allowed to write articles.
!?
ReplyDeleteThe B&H airlines flight has successfully returned with passengers. Here is hope that all ex-yu people can leave Libya safely.
ReplyDelete@FlyingJack
ReplyDeletePehaps the largest airport still using Solari Udine boards is FRA, throughout T1. They do look pretty nice when they are regularly cleaned and mantained properly. BUD also uses Solari with some static graphics, depicting airline logo next to flight number.
I think BEG could preserve these, they are most certainly a touch of past and a nice thing to see (and hear!). But then again, some additional LCDs would be nice as well, and something should be done about design of displays at gates.