Belgrade - Pristina flights to launch in “record time”

Flights between Belgrade and Pristina are expected to launch in the coming months following a deal signed in Washington last week by the two sides. Kosovo’s Minister for Infrastructure, Arban Abrashi, noted yesterday that services would commence in “record time” and would be operated by the Lufthansa Group. Meanwhile, the US special envoy for the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Richard Grenell, said, "We have an air agreement for the first flight in 21 years between Pristina and Belgrade". Authorities from Serbia and Kosovo signed a US brokered “Belgrade - Pristina Special Air Route” (BPSAR) Letter of Intent in February, which foresees Eurowings starting operations between the two cities. The main sticking points for the resumption of flights in the past, such as air traffic oversight and taxes, have been addressed in the document.

Under the agreement between the two sides, passengers flying point to point from Belgrade to Pristina and vice versa will not use their passports for travel. Instead, they will use their National Identity Cards. Furthermore, Kosovo passport holders will be able to transfer through Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to onward destinations using their passports. The Kosovo Civil Aviation Authority has previously confirmed that flightpaths used prior to the 1999 conflict will be utilised again, meaning there will be no need to fly over Macedonian airspace before entering either territory. Eurowings has been given the freedom to determine fares, select codeshare partners and the equipment it will use for the flights. “The filing of codeshares with a carrier with the Lufthansa Group on the respective service shall be granted at any time, provided that all regulatory conditions have been met. Eurowings, or a carrier of the Lufthansa Group, have the right to use services from wetlease partners for the operation of the respective services, with prior consent of the said authorities”, the BPSAR document states.

Eurowings’ Chief Commercial Officer, Michael Knitter, previously noted, “Air transport stands for bringing people of different origins together peacefully. By establishing an airlink, Kosovo and Serbia are taking a step towards rapprochement on the initiative of the US. We are pleased to accompany this process". The agreement signed between Serbia and Kosovo last week also notes that, “Both sides will increase airline passenger screening, information-sharing between each other, and within the framework of border US cooperation in the Balkans, and commit to technology upgrades to combat illicit activities by implementing and operationalising US-provided screening and information systems including PISCES, APIS, ATS-G and SRTP”. JAT Yugoslav Airlines was the last to operate scheduled flights between the two cities back in 1999.