Etihad - Air Serbia plan US codeshare

NEWS FLASH

Etihad Airways is seeking regulatory approval to codeshare on Air Serbia's future service between Belgrade and New York starting June 23. On May 9, The Emirati and Serbian carriers sent a joint application to the United States Department of Transportation (DoT) for a Blanket Statement of Authorisation to enable Air Serbia to display Etihad's "EY" designator code and flights numbers. "Initially, Air Serbia will carry the EY code on flights it operates between Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, but is requesting blanket Open Skies codesharing authority so that it will not need to amend this authority in the event it expands its service to other US points. Air Serbia requests that the Blanket Statement of Authorisation be granted for an indefinite period, as long as the relevant codeshare agreement continues in effect, and will notify the Department if the codesharing agreement should cease to be effective", the application reads. It notes, "While Air Serbia fully anticipates launching service to the US with its own aircraft, Air Serbia and Etihad have agreed to a contingent wet lease pursuant to which Etihad may wet lease aircraft to Air Serbia in the event of maintenance problems or other issues that might take its aircraft out service for any length of time. Accordingly, Etihad hereby applies for a Statement of Authorisation that would allow it to wet lease an appropriate widebody aircraft to Air Serbia on an as-needed basis". The DoT refused to grant Air Serbia rights to codeshare on Etihad Airways' flights to the United States in 2013 following objections from Delta Air Lines. So far, there have been no objections to the recently filed joint Etihad - Air Serbia application.