Air Serbia will launch services from its Belgrade base to New York JFK in June, 24 years after its predecessor JAT last served the North Atlantic route. The new service has still to gain US govt approval, but Air Serbia CE Dane Kondić said Feb 18 that its request for clearance is “progressing well” and the airline is on track for a targeted June 23 launch date. The carrier will use a 2-class Airbus A330-200 leased from Jet Airways on the 5X-weekly service. This is the carrier’s second attempt to gain approval for a US service. A 2014 application, which would have involved a codeshare arrangement with Etihad with flights going via Etihad’s home hub at Abu Dhabi, was ruled out by the US DoT after complaints by US carriers that such a circuitous routing was “irrational.” <br/>