Will people in Serbia soon have to pay higher air fares due to the possible closure of the only foreign airline base in Belgrade? This question emerged in June amid a heated exchange of accusations between Serbian institutions and the Hungarian airline Wizz Air, a dispute that has now reached EU institutions.
After Serbia decided to amend the operating rules for foreign airlines, the Hungarian carrier claimed that the operation of its Belgrade base had been put at risk.
The new provision introduces stricter rules for flights departing from Belgrade.
Wizz Air argues that the regulatory changes violate the European Open Skies Agreement signed in 2006, under which the airline operates in Belgrade.
Serbia’s Civil Aviation Directorate, which introduced the changes, rejects those claims, stating that no airline has been denied the right to operate flights between Serbia and EU member states.
The matter has now reached the European Commission, to which Wizz Air has appealed for assistance.
What is the issue?
The new regulation requires foreign airlines to obtain approval from the Civil Aviation Directorate for flights that both originate and terminate in Serbia.
Wizz Air explains that this means it can no longer operate flights to other destinations that begin and end in Belgrade, where its base is located.
Speaking at a press conference in Belgrade on 18 June, Wizz Air’s Director of Corporate Communications, András Radó, said the company wanted to find a solution; otherwise, it would be forced to close its Belgrade base in November. He added that he did not understand why Serbia had decided to amend the regulations after 15 years of Wizz Air operating in the country. According to Radó, closing the base would result in the loss of jobs and tourists, while the number of flights from Belgrade Airport would decrease. He also argued that such a move would affect ticket prices.
“Competition is good for everyone, both airlines and passengers,” said the Wizz Air communications director.
The company has also launched an online campaign on X under the slogan “Belgrade Deserves Choice”, calling on Serbian authorities to reverse the measures.
Employees held banners bearing the same slogan during the press conference.
The Civil Aviation Directorate did not respond to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s questions regarding the purpose of the amendments. However, in a statement issued on 3 June, it said that the changes “do not constitute a restriction of traffic rights but rather regulate a framework that applies equally to all air carriers”.
Aviation analyst Alen Šćuric from Zagreb told Radio Free Europe that he does not believe this explanation.
“Wizz Air can fly from anywhere in Europe, but it cannot have a base in Belgrade. So I ask myself: how was Wizz Air able to have a base in Belgrade for 15 years? How was that not a problem before, but suddenly it is now?” he said.
Who stands to benefit?
Aviation analyst Alen Šćuric believes the state is attempting to protect the national carrier, Air Serbia, from competition. “The problem is that Wizz Air has increased its number of flights by 26 per cent compared to 2024. They are having a record year in terms of flights, while Air Serbia is clearly stagnating at the moment,” he said.
Representatives of Wizz Air have also claimed that the state is protecting Air Serbia, which has been fully state-owned since 2023.
Air Serbia did not respond to Radio Free Europe’s request for comment on the allegation.
This is not the only point of contention between the Hungarian airline and Serbia.
Several Serbian media outlets reported in June that Wizz Air’s operations were under scrutiny after an inspection by the Directorate allegedly found that the airline had engaged an airport maintenance company without the necessary approval.
Asked about this by Radio Free Europe, András Radó declined to provide details but maintained that the company had operated in accordance with the law.
Šćuric believes that someone within the Serbian authorities was bothered by Wizz Air as a competitor to Air Serbia, since the two airlines operate numerous routes to the same destinations.
Air Serbia carried 4.57 million passengers in 2025, accounting for half of all passenger traffic at Belgrade Airport. It operates 87 routes to 33 countries.
By comparison, Wizz Air announced in June that it operates 29 routes to 26 cities in 10 countries. Since 2010, it has carried around 14 million passengers, averaging just under one million passengers annually.
According to the company, Wizz Air holds a 22 per cent share of the Serbian market.
Dispute before EU institutions
The European Commission (EC) confirmed to Radio Free Europe that it is examining the dispute between Wizz Air and Serbia.
The Commission stated that Wizz Air had contacted it regarding the matter and that it is assessing whether the Common European Aviation Area Agreement has been breached.
Analyst Alen Šćuric said that if the EU determines that Serbia has violated the Open Skies Agreement, the country will have to amend its regulations or face certain sanctions.
Serbia signed the Open Skies Agreement in 2006 with the EU, the Western Balkan countries, Iceland and Norway. The Serbian Parliament ratified the agreement on 13 May 2009.
“That agreement opened the door to a huge number of low-cost airline flights. The idea is that any carrier, whether from Serbia or the EU, can operate an unlimited number of flights between the two sides without requiring special permits,” Šćuric explained.
He added that if Serbia were to effectively remove itself from the agreement, it would enter a complicated situation in which separate agreements would need to be negotiated with each individual country.
What do passengers say?
Saša from Belgrade told Radio Free Europe that she was planning to fly to Paris soon with a low-cost carrier but was uncertain about how the dispute with Wizz Air would be resolved. “I think another airline will enter the market, or that this is only temporary. I don’t expect it to last forever,” she said.
Stanislav Sretenović from Belgrade, who had just returned from Paris on a Wizz Air flight, said that low-cost carriers offer significantly cheaper fares. “The difference in ticket prices compared with other airlines is around 40 per cent. I think it is important for Serbian citizens and for tourism that low-cost carriers remain,” he said.
Aviation analyst Alen Šćuric also emphasised the importance of competition, arguing that even with Wizz Air present, the number of airlines operating at Belgrade Airport remains relatively limited.
“I’ve always said that it is inconceivable to me that Ryanair, which flies extensively throughout the region and has numerous aircraft based in Tirana, Sofia and Athens, and also flies to Zagreb, does not operate flights to Belgrade,” he said.
Media reports last year quoted company officials as saying that Belgrade Airport was too expensive and that Ryanair would therefore only operate to Niš Airport in southern Serbia.
Šćuric stressed that a lack of competition never benefits passengers because it drives up ticket prices. On the other hand, he believes it could benefit Air Serbia. “If Wizz Air were to close its base, Air Serbia would increase frequencies on those routes and would undoubtedly profit significantly. Air Serbia is very much a state project; President Aleksandar Vučić sees it as a driver of Serbia’s development,” Šćuric said.
In 2023, the Serbian state purchased the remaining 16.42 per cent stake in the joint venture from Etihad Airways, the airline based in the United Arab Emirates, becoming the sole owner of Air Serbia.
The company was established in 2013 through a strategic partnership between the UAE national carrier and Serbia’s JAT Airways, with the Serbian state retaining a majority stake from the outset. Etihad’s shareholding gradually decreased over the years.
Air Serbia has transformed from a loss-making company into a profitable enterprise. However, there is no publicly available information regarding the total amount of state investment and subsidies provided to the airline. Air Serbia did not provide this information when requested.
(Radio Free Europe, 22.06.2026)
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/wizz-air-srbija-spor-baza-er-srbija/33783951.html