Wizz Air will remain in Serbia after the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate postponed the implementation of a controversial provision that had raised concerns over the future of the airline’s Belgrade base.
The Directorate adopted an amendment to the rulebook on 25 September, which was published in the Official Gazette on 28 September and entered into force the following day. The disputed provision concerns the approvals foreign airlines must obtain to operate international passenger services to and from Serbia.
The issue had raised particular concerns for Wizz Air because the airline argued that the March changes could prevent EU-based carriers from starting and ending flights in Belgrade, potentially threatening its local base.
The company had warned that this could affect more than 150 jobs and reduce the number of direct routes available to Serbian passengers. The Civil Aviation Directorate, however, has rejected claims that the rules prevent Wizz Air from operating in Serbia, saying the regulations apply equally to all foreign carriers.
Wizz Air also involved the European Commission in the dispute and submitted a petition signed by more than 21,000 Serbian citizens calling for the Belgrade base to be preserved. The base, opened in 2010, currently operates four aircraft serving 25 destinations, while the airline employs more than 150 people in Serbia and carried nearly two million passengers on routes to and from the country last year.
