Chicago support for Air Serbia

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Chicago Department of Aviation of the City of Chicago has sent a letter to the United States Department of Transport (DoT) in support of Air Serbia's foreign air carrier permit request. Air Serbia has applied for a foreign air carrier permit from the United States that, if granted, would enable the airline to provide scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail on any and all routes authorised pursuant to the new US - Serbia Open Skies Agreement. In its application, the airline says it will first provide services to the United States in a codeshare agreement with Air Berlin via Germany, and could eventually offer its own flights.

The Chicago Department of Aviation says, "We write to express our support for Air Serbia's application for an Exemption and Foreign Air Carrier Permit that would allow Air Serbia to provide service to the US (on a codeshare-only basis at this time, but potentially directly in the future), and we urge you to grant the requested authority without delay. Currently, only one US carrier operates scheduled services to Serbia by placing its code on a European partner carrier. Granting the requested authority for additional one-stop service to Belgrade would inject much-needed competition into the US-Serbia market, offering additional options for passengers and stimulating demand for additional service. We are encouraged by the recent successful negotiation of an Open Skies Agreement between the US and Serbia, and the new opportunities it could eventually provide Chicago-area travelers - particularly a potential nonstop Air Serbia Chicago - Belgrade service". It adds, "The US is home to the largest Serbian Diaspora outside of Europe, with a large portion of this population residing in Chicago. The availability of a new US - Serbia air service provides an important opportunity to connect Serbian families in the US and abroad, and fosters the creation and growth of US - Serbian business and economic connections, which are key to the continued economic development of Serbia. The new one-stop service would provide a vital link to Belgrade, the political and economic center of Serbia, and a "sister city" to Chicago since 2005". In the letter, Commissioner Ginger S. Evans concludes, "The benefit of added US - Serbia service to the large ethnic community of interest centered in Chicago, in addition to the promotion of further competition in the US - Serbia market, strongly support the grant of the requested authority to Air Serbia".

The DoT is yet to make a decision on the permit request.