Switzerland: GP Aviation receives approval for Pristina flights

GP Aviation has been granted permission to operate flights between Pristina and Switzerland after a public appeal was launched to allow a European Union-registered carrier to fly between the two countries and bypass existing regulatory restrictions.

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and regulates its air traffic rights on the basis of air traffic agreements. According to the Kosovo Civil Aviation Authority, “in the 2009 Kosovo-Switzerland Air Transport Agreement, the two parties agreed that they could designate an unlimited number of domestic air carriers to fly between the two countries. Since Kosovo does not have a domestic airline, Switzerland has agreed in the bilateral agreement for Kosovo to appoint an EU or Swiss operator”. GP Aviation has now been selected by the regulator for a period of three years, after which the agreement can be extended. The Bulgarian airline is obliged to start scheduled flights from Pristina to Zurich, Geneva and Basel by June 1 this year.