Serbia blocks Ryanair's new Nis service over lack of regulatory nod - govt

Ryanair has attempted to launch flights on a line of public interest, for which it could choose to fly on a commercial basis, the Serbian government said in a statement on Tuesday.

In May, flag carrier Air Serbia won a tender to operate subsidised services from Konstantin Veliki Airport in Nis to 12 international destinations, including Frankfurt.

Local media reported last week that Ryanair has cancelled the planned launch of the Nis-Frankfurt service due to the decision by the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate to block the transport rights. Instead, the company decided to connect Bosnia's Banja Luka to Frankfurt in February.

Ryanair planned to launch the Frankfurt-Nis service on January 13 and operate it twice a week, its flight schedule showed last month.