Aeroput

Aeroput (Serbo-Croato-Slovenian Cyrillic: Aeропут) was the national airline of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which was founded on 17 June 1927 in the palace of the Adriatic and the Danube bank in Belgrade as Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput

The airline ceased to exist during World War II, but was renewed after the war under the new name Jugoslovenski Aero Transport (Yugoslav Airlines - JAT) and still flies today under the name Jat Airways (now being the national air carrier of Serbia).

History

Aeroput did not go bankrupt. With the German invasion and the capitulation of the country in 1941, the airline was forced out of operation. Thanks to the enormous efforts made by pre-war Aeroput flight staff and technicians, the company begun flying again on April 1, 1947 under its new name Jugoslovenski Aero Transport (JAT). Jugoslovenski Aero Transport became the national air carrier of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as JAT Yugoslav Airlines. The airline changed its name to Jat Airways in 2003 and it became the flag carrier of Serbia and Montenegro and in 2006 the flag carrier of Serbia.

Fleet

Six Aeroput Potez 29/2 biplanes at the old Belgrade-Dojno polje Airport, 1929

Over the airline's history the fleet included:

• 8 Lockheed Model 10A Electra
• 6 Potez 29/2
• 3 Spartan Cruiser II - In 1935 one Cruiser II (reg. as YU-SAP) was built under Spartan's licence for Aeroput by Zmaj aircraft company in Zemun.
• 2 Caudron C.449 Goéland
• 1 Caudron C.441 Goéland
• 1 Farman F.306
• 1 Farman F.190
• 1 de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth
• 1 de Havilland DH.60M Moth
• 1 de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth
• 1 de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
• 1 Aeroput MMS-3 (reg. as YU-SAR) - The first passenger aircraft made in Serbia in 1934 year under Aeroput's brand name.

In 1938, its flying personnel numbered 17: 6 pilots, 5 copilots and 6 wireless operators.

Exhibits from this period can be found in the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade (with a collection of over 200 planes, gliders and helicopters).

See also

• Jat Airways

External links

• Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput (1927-1948)
• Aeroput timetable
• Civil Aircraft Register - Yugoslavia
• The history of JAT
• Jat Airways