Serbia, U.S. route ends 24-year hiatus

Air Serbia launched flights to the United States last week, marking the first time direct service has existed between the two countries since the Balkans wars in the 1990s. The A330-200 used on the new route is of interest to freight forwarders in Eastern Europe and North America, thanks to its ample belly capacity.

The five-times-a-week service runs between Nikola Tesla International Airport, which is the Belgrade-based hub for Air Serbia, and New York JFK International Airport.

Etihad Airways, a 49 percent equity partner, assisted with engineering; fleet planning and technical support; pilot and cabin crew training; and marketing, legal and guest service backing, according to the airline. Jet Airways, Alitalia and airberlin also assisted with training and logistics.