Transavia France (TO, Paris Orly) has cancelled a newly planned service between Paris Orly and Belgrade Nikola Tesla due to problems with aircraft refuelling in the Serbian capital. The low-cost carrier dropped the route amid concerns over doing business with NIS, the airport's sole fuel provider, which has been targeted by US sanctions, the local aviation portal Ex-Yu Aviation News reported citing unnamed sources.
The airline confirmed to ch-aviation that the service would be scrapped because of "internal reasons".
Transavia France has discontinued ticket sales for the new Paris-Belgrade service, which was scheduled to start in July 2025. The city pair is currently served by Wizz Air and Air Serbia, which operate from Paris Beauvais and Paris CDG respectively.
NIS is 50%-owned by Gazprom Neft, a Russian oil company which is also under US and EU sanctions. Gazprom, the state-owned parent holding of Gazprom Neft, owns a further 6.15% of the Serbian company. The US government designated NIS on January 10, shortly before the presidential transition, as part of a broad package of sanctions against the Russian energy sector.
The date for implementing the sanctions has been postponed twice, with the latest deadline set for April 28.
Wizz Air, the only scheduled carrier with aircraft based in Serbia, along with Air Serbia, was also struggling to maintain operations to Belgrade due to the sanctions. Following the announcement by the US authorities, the low-cost carrier stopped refuelling in Belgrade.
