Wizz Air has renewed its call on the Serbian authorities to urgently resolve a regulatory dispute which it says threatens the future of its Belgrade base. The airline claims that regulatory changes introduced this year have placed the viability of its Belgrade base at risk. It warned that the dispute extends beyond its own operations and could affect employment, competition, affordable travel, Serbia’s connectivity with Europe and international investors’ confidence in the Serbian market. The European Commission is examining whether the amendments to Serbia’s aviation regulations comply with the country’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area Agreement.
Wizz Air’s Chief Corporate Officer, Owain Jones, said, “Wizz Air has been investing in Serbia for more than fifteen years. We want to stay, grow and continue investing. However, investment requires fair rules and certainty. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment and the opportunity to compete for Serbian passengers on price, service and network. Serbia should be attracting investment and improving connectivity, not putting both into question. The solution is simple: remove discriminatory restrictions and allow competition to work. Wizz Air has made its choice: we choose Serbia. Now Serbia must decide whether it chooses competition, connectivity and investment”. Wizz Air said it remains prepared to engage in constructive discussions with the Serbian authorities, the Civil Aviation Directorate and European institutions in order to reach an urgent solution. It added the protection of a single company from competition benefits no one
The Serbian Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said recently, “There is no intention to “force” Wizz Air out of Serbia or to restrict its, or any other EU carrier’s, right to operate services, either in terms of routes or frequencies”. It noted that the airline’s Belgrade base is contrary to the Multilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a European Common Aviation Area.
We support W6 base in BEG.
ReplyDeleteI do too...but under Serbian AOC - YU registration would look good on some planes. Wizz had to do the same for Ukraine, Abu Dhabi etc
DeleteAnd both ventures failed.
DeleteThere is no point to force W6 when it doesn't suit the market. Only JU and Marek profit from this move
AbuDhabi failed because they wanted to do low cost long haul, and Ukraine failed because they wanted to connect ukraine to holiday spots, and not to diaspora. It benefits JU, but not as much as you think - they will be limited by both capacity and schedule, and if they are running at 85% lf, even if they reach 100, there will be hundreds of thousands of pax that simply won't be able to get a seat
DeleteWhy did Bulgaria fail?
DeleteBulgaria didn't fail, it operated from 2005 until 2011 when it wasn't needed anymore after the law changed
DeleteMany of us are supporting their base in Serbia, however it must be done proper and under the YU registration only. What they had in the past must stop and only makes sense to operate the same way foreign airlines operate in other countries . As simple as that.
DeleteNo need for a Serbian AOC.
DeleteThey are never going to be granted rights to fly outside the EU in markets already served by JU so why bother with that?
10:36
DeleteYou are considering yourself as multiple characters and addressing yourself in plural? Why would you do that? Obviously you are only one who support W6 base on foreign soil
14:09
And who could stop them? With Serbian AOC they have same rights as every Serbian company. You are just presenting your narrative in vain. Everyone knows the law.
Ako dođe do zatvaranja baze,gdje bi mogli rasporediti avione iz BEG?
ReplyDeletePRN, BTS, italy
DeleteTZL
DeleteThey can base them anywhere they want to grow. It has nothing to do with geographic area.
DeleteLJU? Uf i forgot they would have already based some aircrafts in LJU, regardless of the BEG base, but, but Fraport operates a prestigious airport and they do not need a LCC base.
DeleteI really don't get emotions about this topic. You either comply to legal requests or you don't - if in doubt, ask the court. End of story.
ReplyDeleteJoint Committee wil decide on this matter and I am sure the new regulation breaks the ECAA agreement
DeleteIt definitely doesn’t
DeleteAnd I am sure it doesn't. It would be resolved long time ago, if you're right. And you're not, as usuall
Delete"We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment..." - Well, that's what you're getting.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWell they don't get PSO so no, Wizz didn't get millions of subsidiaries in the past. So still no equal treatment
DeleteStill have huuuuge advantage to non EU companies
Delete@13:06
Delete+1
12:34
Delete" millions of subsidiaries"
Learn to write please"...
Warning!? They are full of themselves:-)
ReplyDeleteUsful?
DeleteWizz should stop whining.
ReplyDeleteThey stated thr case, issued PR statement, etc.
EU will look into it. If it had been a clear cut violation, I'm sure we would have already heard from Brussels.
+1
DeleteWhat was happening during 13 -14 years till now? Somebody broke the law?
DeleteThey can fly to Niš more, I wouldn't mind that
ReplyDeleteKVO could be an option once it is adapted to such heavy planes. With the new highway, it is only 90min from Belgrade.
DeleteThat would be great.
DeleteHonestly, I'm tired of all this Wizz Air complaining.
ReplyDeleteGuys, just follow the law. Wizz is not a charity, they are business that earn a lot of money, so just do what every other business do, follow the rules
+1000
DeleteYes but it's not only W6 which is losing but Serbia and the Serbian market
DeleteTrue but as Wizzair people have been saying they wouldn't stop flying altogether they would close the base. They said they'd maintain flights from other European bases.
DeleteWho cares about Wizzair people? Let them fly from wherever they want.
DeletePassengers care
DeleteNo one cares about passengers who find it logical for a plane ticket to cost less than the taxi ride to the airport. Even the locals in the cities they visit dislike such travelers, as they generally opt for the cheapest Airbnb rentals, thereby driving up housing prices for the local population. Moreover, they spend almost nothing at their destination.
Delete+10000 Those are not tourists at all. If I don't have enough money, I am staying at home
DeleteCan't wait to see you get extorted and start complaining. Then we'll see your staying at home.
DeleteAnd who is going to extorted you? If you're referring to JU prices, they are quite reasonable.
DeleteTheir PR department is really bad
ReplyDeleteExactly. Circumstances didn't change since the last statement. Meeting will be held less than a week from now, yet they throw another PR temper tantrum. Pathetic.
DeleteOvo postaje već prilično patetično.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that Serbia is in stage one of the open skies agreement, and in that stage JU can fly to wherever they want in EU but must begin in Serbia, and Wizz can fly to wherever they want in Serbia but must begin in EU. This is super clear. There is of course also an alternative resolution, which is that Serbia is somehow advanced to stage two. I'm surprised nobody is mentioning this as an option. I wonder if JU would be at all interested in such a development. Of course this would seriously encroach upon their home base, so presumably they're not interested. But they could in principle look at other opportunities - they could operate some flights from LJU or even from ZAG, for example.
ReplyDelete