European Commission wants Serbia to suspend implementation of controversial measure concerning foreign airlines

The European Commission has assessed that the regulatory changes introduced earlier this year by the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate, governing the operations of foreign airlines, are inconsistent with Serbia’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Agreement.

As the European Commission has told EX-YU Aviation News, Brussels has requested that Serbian authorities suspend the implementation of the new measures. In the meantime, Serbia has postponed their implementation by six months, until March 2027.

Had they entered into force as originally planned, the measures would have effectively resulted in the closure of Wizz Air’s base in Belgrade later this month.

– The Commission finds the new Regulation incompatible with Serbia’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area Agreement. It has urged the Serbian authorities to suspend the application of these measures. Serbia has postponed their application to March 2027. The Commission will continue discussions with the Serbian authorities – the European Commission told EX-YU Aviation News.

The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has not commented on the suspension of the rules. It previously said the measures were intended to safeguard competition, arguing that a single foreign airline was receiving preferential treatment by being allowed to maintain a base in Belgrade while Serbia remains in the first transitional phase of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement.

However, the transitional provisions do not explicitly state whether foreign carriers may or may not establish bases in Serbia. The Directorate had also raised no objection to Wizz Air’s Belgrade base since it was opened in 2011, a point that ultimately did not strengthen its position in defending the new restrictions.

The issue is also likely to feature in the European Commission’s annual progress report on Serbia, due to be published next month. In previous reports, Serbia has generally been praised for its level of alignment with EU rules in the field of air transport, making the dispute over the new measures a potentially notable point of criticism.

The six-month suspension gives the Serbian authorities additional time to amend or withdraw the contested provisions, while continued opposition from Brussels could ultimately make their implementation in March 2027 politically and legally difficult without further changes.

European Commission

Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate

Wizz Air