Why the Greeks travel on Sunday already - UEFA Champions League Qualifiers R3 first leg

6 August 2024

Malmö FF vs. PAOK Saloniki

It is some way from Greece to Sweden. And PAOK Saloniki will want to be best prepared for the clash against the Swedish champions from Malmö. While PAOK won both games against Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka, Malmö FF had a slip-up in their away game on the Faroe Islands against KI Klaksvik. The bookies have Malmö as favourites, although a draw or even an away win for PAOK can not be ruled out at all. PAOK traveled early, on Sunday, using an Aegean Airlines Airbus A320.

AEE6190 ATH 1615-1705 SKG A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AEE4190 SKG 1800-1935 MMX A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24)

AEE6191 MMX 2045-0030(+1) ATH A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AEE4191 MMX 2330-xxxx(+1) SKG A320 (06/08/24)

FK Qarabag Agdam vs. Ludogorets Razgrad

Another team to travel quite far is Ludogorets Razgrad. The champions from Bulgaria will meet their counterpart from Azerbaijan in Baku and as you might know, Qarabag are far from easy to beat at all. For the long trip to the East, Ludogorets will use an Embraer EMB-145 of Amelia Aviation which will get pushed to its range limits on this trip. The plane made its way from St-Brieuc in France to Varna on Sunday evening already.

AIA261F SBK 1530-2050 VAR E145 F-HGYM (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AIA261 VAR 0930-1255 GYD E145 F-HGYM (05/08/24)

AIA262 GYD xxxx-0235 VAR E145 F-HGYM (07/07/24)

Sparta Prague vs. FCSB

It is not very far from Bucharest to Prague and vice-versa. And FCSB even uses a Czech company for its travels to Prague for the first leg in this tie. Having overcome Maccabi Tel Aviv in the previous round, FCSB will need to be on top of their game to beat the Czech champions. Sparta had it quite a bit easier in their tie against Shamrock Rovers from Ireland, recording two clear wins away and at home in Prague. 

QS430P PRG 0600-0855 OTP B737 OK-SWW (05/08/24, ferry flight)

QS4309 OTP 1000-1055 PRG B737 OK-SWW (05/08/24)

QS4310 PRG 0050-xxxx OTP B737 (07/08/24)

FC Midtjylland vs. Ferencvaros

Both teams in this tie had easy opposition in the second round. Ferencvaros scored seven goals over two legs against New Saints from Wales while Midtjylland came up with four scores against Andorra's finest Santa Coloma. A German Airways Embraer EMB-190 will be the transport for Hungarian champions Ferencvaros from Budapest to Karup.

ZQ1899 BUD 1100-1300 KRP E190 D-AMWO (05/08/24)

Dynamo Kyiv vs. Glasgow Rangers

In the league path, Rangers will travel to Poland, where Dynamo Kyiv still have their playing home base this season. Rangers enter the competition in this round while Dynamo had two big wins over Partizan Belgrade in the previous round already. A Boeing 737-700 in special configuration operated by 2Excel Aviation will be at Rangers' disposal for the flight to Lublin.

BRO976A GLA 1500-1830 LUZ B737 G-NEWG (05/08/24)

BRO976B LUZ 2355-0135(+1) GLA B737 G-NEWG (06/08/24)

Lille OSC vs. Fenerbahçe Istanbul

It is a flight with Turkish Airlines from Sabiha Gökçen to Lille for Fenerbahçe. The game will take place in Valenciennes due to the Paris 2024 Olympics that also take place in Lille's Stade Pierre Mauroy. For the trip, a Boeing 737-800 will be ferried from Istanbul International on the European side of Istanbul across the Bosporus to Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side.

TK3306 IST 1200-1230 SAW B738 TC-JHO (05/08/24, ferry flight)

TK3307 SAW 1355-1625 LIL B738 TC-JHO (05/08/24) 

FC Salzburg vs. Twente Enschede

Another league path tie sees Salzburg facing Twente from the Netherlands. Both sides join the competition at this stage, although the Austrian runners-up are probably favourites for the berth in the play-offs. Twente will board a CRJ-900 of Global Reach Aviation at Enschede that will take them to Salzburg in just over an hour's flight time.

GAV312 BLL 0845-0945 ENS CRJ OY-MIT (05/08/24, ferry flt)

GAV312 ENS 1100-1215 SZG CRJ9 OY-MIT (05/08/24)

GAV312 SZG 1400-1515 FMO CRJ OY-MIT (07/08/24)

CRJ-900 OY-MIT of Global Reach Aviation

seen at Helsinki-Vantaa in July 2024

7 August 2024

Jagiellonia Bialystok vs. Bodø/Glimt

Once again Bodø/Glimt are representing Norway in the UCL qualifiers. For their third round tie, they will have to travel away to Poland, first to Modlin and then on land to Bialystok. As is quite usual for the Norwegian team, they will use a rather small aircraft in Embraer EMB-145 PH-DWA of Air Charters Europe.

AGR1007 BOO 1500-1745 WMI E145 PH-DWA (05/08/24)

AGR7 WMI 1845-2055 ANR E145 PH-DWA (05/08/24, ferry flight)

Slavia Prague vs. Union St-Gilloise

For only the second time in their history, USG have qualified for the UEFA Champions League. The 3rd round qualifier will initially take them to Prague where they will face Slavia at Fortuna Arena. Brussels Airlines will be responsible for the flight, using one of their Airbus A319 aircraft.

SN1175 BRU 1410-1540 PRG A319 OO-SSS (06/08/24)

SN1176 PRG 2350-0120(+1) BRU A319 OO-SSF (07/08/24)

Slovan Bratislava vs. APOEL Nicosia

The champions from Cyprus and Slovakia will continue their quest for Champions League tickets of the group stage variety. APOEL comes off a tight encounter with Petrocub from Moldova, while Slovan had it easier against Slovenian champions Celje in the second leg at least. For their trip West, APOEL will use an Airbus A321 of Fly One from Romania.

OE4018 LCA 1000-1220 BTS A321 (06/08/24)