Swiss rejection

No go for Montenegro Airlines

Montenegro Airlines faces the possibility of delaying or ditching the launch of its services from Niš Constantine the Great Airport in Serbia to Zurich after the Swiss authorities declined to issue a license to Montenegro’s national carrier. Recently, Montenegro Airlines received fifth freedom rights to operate flights from a country other than its own (Serbia) to another country (Switzerland). The Serbian Aviation Directorate issued the all clear to Montenegro Airlines and even put together Montenegro Airlines’ license request to the Swiss authorities. However, the Swiss are not interested. Montenegro Airlines used to operate flights from Niš (and Belgrade) to Zurich when it was flying the flag of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. After the break up in 2006, Montenegro Airlines was forced to end all flights between Serbia and countries other than Montenegro. Montenegro Airlines hoped to escape this problem by registering a new airline in Serbia called Master Airways. The airline never took off to the sky and a wide scale corruption investigation is being carried out against all of those involved in the project.

The Swiss authorities are set to give their final decision within a month. The Swiss do not wish to issue fifth freedom rights to Montenegro Airlines whose country is not part of Europe’s open sky policy, but intends to benefit from it on the count of other countries.

Visit tomorrow for latest developments regarding Croatia’s controversial new airport regulations