75 years of Belgrade - Zurich flights

Written by Veljko Marinković

A nonstop air link between Zurich and Belgrade, the largest cities in both Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia, was established exactly 75 years ago. Swissair's first DC-3 took off from Zurich's relatively new Kloten Airport and headed towards Belgrade's old airport. Not only was Swissair the first Western European airline to serve the former Yugoslavia following World War II, but Belgrade was also among the first Eastern European capitals to be connected to the West via air travel, making the launch of these flights highly significant. Just over a month later, on August 24, 1949, JAT Yugoslav Airlines introduced a scheduled service from Belgrade to Zurich via Zagreb with a DC-3, making it the fifth foreign airline globally to do so. By starting these flights, Belgrade and other parts of EX-YU gained indirect access to other regions of the world and connected to a major European air traffic hub.

JAT DC-3 pictured at Zurich Kloten Airport at the beginning of the 1950s

Beginning in 1939, Swissair operated three promotional flights (South, North, and West) to the National Exhibition with the DC-3 HB-IRA, marking the beginning of sporadic flights between Belgrade and Zurich. Starting its journey from Zurich and onto Rome, Athens, Cairo, Athens, Sofia, Bucharest, Belgrade, Budapest, and back to Zurich was the path taken by the first aircraft. Additionally, freight flights were operated, the majority of which carried gold reserves from a Swiss bank. Initially, from 1949, depending on the season, there were one or two weekly scheduled flights between Belgrade and Zurich. The fact that JU320/321 and SR246/247 were operated in a single day or that the DC-3 aircraft's return flight took place the next day was also impacted by the seasons. The introduction of flights to Zurich was of particular importance for Yugoslavia since it reduced dependence on Prague, which was formerly the main transit point for travellers from Yugoslavia to abroad and vice versa. The vast majority of passengers and cargo transported on the Belgrade - Zurich route were also in transit to other destinations.

Swissair destination network 1957 » Swissair ad for Belgrade flights by von Henri Ott, 1951

It is interesting to note that it took longer than anticipated for other foreign airlines to begin nonstop flights to Belgrade. Swissair was the sole foreign carrier until 1954 when the Greek TAE began service on the Athens – Thessaloniki - Belgrade route, and British Eagle Aviation began service from London via Munich. The Soviet Aeroflot then joined in 1955. It was therefore not surprising that, among all foreign airlines, Swissair continued to hold the lead in terms of passengers transported at Belgrade Airport in the early 1960s of the 20th century. In 1956, JAT operated flights using a mix of DC-3s, IL-14s, and Convair aircraft, while Swissair upgraded to a larger and more modern Convair 440 Metropolitan. In the mid-1960s, JAT doubled the number of flights and passengers on its Belgrade -Zurich flights, but the biggest increase was recorded in 1964 when JAT deployed the Caravelle jet on the route. On the other hand, Swissair also introduced the Caravelle into regular traffic to Belgrade, with Swissair being the first airline to land a jet plane at the newly opened airport in 1962.

Swissair Coronado 880 jet and crew at Belgrade Airport, 1967 » Swissair Convair 440 Metropoliten at Belgrade Airport, April 1962

Apart from offering nonstop flights to Belgrade, Swissair had another historic moment at Belgrade Airport in in 1965 when it started operating two-weekly 4-engine Coronado 880 flights to Istanbul via Belgrade. However, JAT also valued special occasions, so in 1969 it deployed the DC-9 (leased I-DIKY), on the Belgrade - Zurich route, further highlighting the significance of this service and its influence on the growth of the company. Both airlines started offering new flights from Zurich to other EX-YU cities in the 1970s, and as EX-YU aviation grew, so did the number of flights on the Belgrade - Zurich route. At the same time the capacity of the aircraft used expanded. Belgrade was also selected by Swissair to be among the first cities where its new DC-9-81 was deployed. Both airlines were running daily flights between the two cities by the end of the 1980s. In tribute to Swissair being the first foreign airline to fly to Belgrade following World War II, Swissair’s newly acquired Fokker 100 aircraft made its inaugural flight from Zurich to Belgrade on May 25, 1988.

JAT Caravelle jet at Zurich Airport, 1965

First JAT DC-9 on final approach at Zurich Airport, operating its maiden flight, 1969

It is interesting to note that both national carriers accomplished enviable cooperation through knowledge-sharing and personnel training. JAT made the initial modifications to the DC-3 type aircraft, following Swissair in the process. It built and installed lighter, thinner seats in its workshop so that the DC-3 could carry 28 people rather than the original 20. Swissair handled JAT’s ticket sales in Switzerland until 1963 when Yugoslav Airlines opened its own office at 70 Limmatquai Street in downtown Zurich. JAT also handled Swissair’s ticket sales in Belgrade. Afterwards, JAT performed some of its DC-10 maintenance at the Swiss carrier's hangars.

JAT DC-9 pictured at Zurich Airport, on August 24, 1974, exactly 25 years after the first flight between Belgrade and Zurich » Swissair DC-9 at Belgrade Airport pictured on July 9, 1974, exactly 25 years after first flight between Belgrade and Zurich » Swissair stewardesses Rita Gans Wein and Ursula Sieber alongside JATs Snežana Ristić celebrating 25th anniversary » A map for JAT’s office in Zurich downtown, 1974 »

Swissair advertisements published in Yugoslav newspapers, in the 1970s

JAT: 40 years of flying Belgrade-Zurich postcard, 1989

Swissair: Thank you note to Yugoslavia and JAT for 40 years of cooperation, 1989

Sadly, the first flight disruptions between the two cities occurred in the early years of the 1990s as a result of the sanctions that were put in force. Swissair halted all its flights to Belgrade on May 31, 1991, and two days later, JAT followed likewise. When services restarted in 1994, JAT operated a combination of DC-9, Boeing 727, and 737 aircraft, while Swissair primarily used the McDonnell Douglas MD-81 "mad dog" aircraft. The first commercial aircraft from a Western foreign airline to land at Belgrade Airport following a lifted flight ban (imposed due to NATO bombing) was an Airbus A321 flown by Swissair from Zurich on March 22, 2000. A few minutes later, an Olympic Airways aircraft from Athens landed at Belgrade Airport, while Aeroflot was already connecting Moscow and Belgrade. When new nonstop flights between Belgrade and Zurich operated by Montenegro Airlines were added at the start of the new millennium, the number of airlines operating between the two cities increased to three. These flights were in operation until 2006. The number of passengers and flights increased steadily in the coming period, so it was not uncommon to see a wide-body DC-10 on a scheduled flight between the two cities, and nowadays during the holidays Air Serbia’s Airbus A330 with Nikola Tesla or Mihajlo Pupin livery.

JAT DC -10 taxing at Zurich Airport by Pascal Simon, 2003

SWISS Airbus A319 at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, 2011

Today, 75 years later, Zurich remains one of Belgrade's most popular destinations. It is served by both Swiss International Air Lines and Air Serbia and is ranked third in terms of weekly flights, just behind Tivat and Podgorica.

Air Serbia Airbus A319, Zurich Airport by Andre Bonn

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