50 years since the launch of Yugoslavia - Australia flights

Written by Veljko Marinković

The flight that occurred exactly fifty years ago best captures the fact that EX-YU aviation's history is interwoven with a variety of accomplishments. On April 1, 1975, JAT Yugoslav Airlines celebrated its 28th birthday by operating its first scheduled long-haul intercontinental route via Karachi and Singapore to Australia, with Sydney as the final destination. In addition to being the first long-haul, scheduled flight across continents, it was also the longest scheduled route in EX-YU aviation history. Two days later, Qantas added Belgrade to its route network, deploying the first scheduled wide-body jet in EX-YU aviation history. And not just any wide-body plane, but "The Queen of Sky", the Boeing 747, making it the first airliner to fly this type of plane to Belgrade on a scheduled basis. Interestingly, the popular Jumbo Jet, with kangaroo motifs on its tail, landed in Belgrade before Paris, where Qantas started flights to the "City of Lights” in June of the same year.

JAT ad in Cyrillic for new flights to Sydney » 1975

Qantas ad: “Qantas Jumbo Jet is flying to Australia” » 1975

Following the acquisition of its first Boeing 707, JAT operated its first flights to Australia in June 1970, although solely on a charter basis. Interestingly, the agreement between Yugoslavia and Australia served as the foundation for their start. It stated that only national carriers were permitted to carry economic immigrants from Yugoslavia. Conditions for the launch of scheduled traffic had been met after four years of flying and transporting 85.989 passengers on 404 flights, with an average annual increase of 45%. The decision to introduce scheduled service was made for two reasons: first, it was estimated that 300,000 Yugoslavs lived in Australia, plus 70.000 in New Zealand, which supported the implementation of regular flights. Furthermore, JAT became one of the few major airlines in the world to operate transoceanic flights, particularly of this length, by starting scheduled intercontinental operations. The Yugoslav and Australian governments negotiated a complex deal that allowed JAT to launch scheduled traffic to Sydney with two weekly frequencies using B707 ls and Qantas to launch scheduled traffic with one or two weekly frequencies using B747s. However, Qantas was not permitted to offer more seats per week than JAT. By taking this precaution, Qantas was unable to use a larger, with more capacity aircraft to force JAT out of the market.

JAT Boeing 707 pictured during final preparations for the first scheduled flight to Sydney » Belgrade Airport, 1975

The four-engine JAT Boeing 707-320, YU-AGI, carrying 150 passengers and crew, designated JU600, sped down runway 12 at Belgrade Airport just before midnight. Captain Veselinović gave the order to "rotate" and the aircraft took off on a 22-hour flight to Australia, writing a new chapter in aviation history. The Boeing 707 made two landings on its more than 16.000-kilometer journey before touching down at Sydney Airport. Heading south, overflying Niš, Sofia, Istanbul, Ankara, the first meal was served passing Teheran. After six hours of flying, the JAT 707 had its first refuelling stop in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi. After a short break, the next leg of the six-hour flight continued to Singapore, via Mumbai, Madras, and Kuala Lumpur, flying over 2.300 km of the Indian Ocean. The plane stayed in Singapore for about an hour, after which the flight to Sydney continued, and the crew served another meal. After flying through several time zones, the JAT 707 landed at Sydney Airport just after its opening, at around 6.00 in the morning.

Flight crew of the first JAT Boeing 707 service to Sydney: captains Dušan Veselinović and Miroslav Radišić, F/O Jovica Jeftić, F/E Miloje Mačešćić » Passengers boarding the first flight » Belgrade Airport, 1975

Football players of FC Velež before their trip to Australia, 1976 » First JAT Boeing 707 YU-AGA taxiing on “Kangaroo soil”. It was welcomed by 3.000 cheering Yugoslavs » Sydney Airport, June 3, 1970

The upgrade of the Boeing 707 fleet was a major investment made by JAT in order to remain competitive in the intercontinental market. The cabin was retrofitted, first class with eight seats was introduced, and economy class passengers' comfort was likewise enhanced. An early version of the in-flight entertainment system (IFE) was installed on one of the YU- registered aircraft for the first time. Three projector-equipped pop-up screens were set up, and movies and other entertainment shows were played on them. Additionally, each seat had headphones that could be used to listen to eight different music channels, which ranged from rock to folk. Among other things, multiple decks of cards were loaded onto aircraft to pass the time during the lengthy trip, and passengers could keep them as souvenirs. During the flight, passengers were provided with a variety of local non-alcoholic beverages in addition to three hot and two cold meals. To fulfill all service requirements on these flights, the crew received specialised training. At the same time, JAT unveiled new uniforms designed by renowned fashion designer Aleksandar Joksimović.

JAT's new uniforms, 1975

JAT scheduled departures from Belgrade on Tuesday (23:10) and Friday (23:59), with return flights leaving Sydney on Friday and Sunday (16:10). The plane arrived in Belgrade at roughly 5:00 on the way back, giving passengers the opportunity to transfer onto a variety of flights from Belgrade to other cities in the former Yugoslavia and destinations around Europe. Although the technical landing was performed in Karachi in 1975, they were moved via Kuwait in 1976 instead of Karachi because of the expensive handling and landing fees. Although the aircraft's ability to carry passengers and cargo was unaffected by the slightly longer flight duration, JAT was able to save half a million dollars annually, given that Kuwait's fuel prices were more favorable and the lowest of any airport in the region. By obtaining permission to sell tickets to Singapore from Belgrade, commonly referred to as the Gibraltar of the East, JAT was able to expand passenger connections to other Australian cities (Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, etc.) and Far Eastern destinations. One crew would fly to Singapore (extra flight crew onboard), while the second crew (located in Singapore) would handle the next sector to Sydney and then the return trip to Singapore. Throughout the 20-day tour, the crew was alternated. For the first time, JAT implemented a non-smoking area on flights to Sydney that same year, designating distinct areas of the cabin for smokers and non-smokers. The number of seats was determined by the number of passengers and their preferences, and the front section of the cabin was designated for non-smokers. This modification was thereafter implemented on all JAT flights.

JAT Boeing 707 during final approach at Sydney Airport » The Ensemble of Folk Dances and Songs of Serbia “Kolo” and Predrag Cune Gojković before the flight to Australia » JAT Boeing 707 pictured at Sydney after operating its first scheduled flight, 1975 » Passengers disembarking JAT 's Boeing 707 at Singapore Airport

On April 3, 1976, one of the oldest airlines in the world, Qantas, began operating weekly flights out of Belgrade, leaving at 23:59 every Thursday and landing in Sydney on Saturday morning. Although it occasionally used the larger B747-338, Qantas primarily flew the Boeing 747-238B. Qantas' Kangaroo Routes were multi-stop, just like the majority of routes in the 1970s and early 1980s. While a few flights continued to London, Paris or Rome, with several stops in Melbourne, Darwin, Hong Kong, Damascus, and Athens, others terminated in Belgrade. Only a handful of European cities, including London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Athens, Rome, Istanbul and Vienna, had an opportunity to handle the mighty 747 arriving from Australia. Belgrade had the privilege to be amongst those cities.

Welcoming the first passengers of Qantas inaugural Boeing 747 flight » Belgrade Airport, 1975

Belgrade Airport lacked gates and the necessary infrastructure to handle this kind of aircraft at the time, especially specialised cargo containers. However, thanks to the combined efforts of all airport staff, the B747 was handled in a record 50 minutes. A devotion that continues to this day, 50 years later, amid increasingly uncertain and challenging working conditions. Initially, Qantas flights departed Belgrade with an average of 150 people, and during the summer, this number rose. One noteworthy event occurred in 1976 when the station manager for Qantas asked the airport in Belgrade to prepare 367 economy class meals and 18 first class meals just three hours before departure. The preparation of this record quantity of food involved almost every other facility because the airport was catering at the time. The Qantas B747 merely had a three-minute delay.

Qantas QF5/6 Boeing 747 pictured at Belgrade Airport, 1970s » Qantas ad for Perth flights published in Yugoslav newspapers, 1970s

Perth was added to the network of flights available from the Yugoslav capital in 1977, when Qantas included it as a stop on its service to Belgrade, making it the first airline to serve both cities. Qantas began operating flights from Sydney via Bangkok in the summer of 1978. More significantly, Qantas was granted the right to sell tickets to Belgrade on this route as well. While it was anticipated that JAT would be strong with passengers in the transfer sector (which it was), it's noteworthy that Qantas also had notable success in this area. In addition to being a stopover, Belgrade served as a hub from which passengers who came on Qantas flights QF5 or QF15 proceeded to other destinations, particularly those in the Eastern Bloc (Prague, Moscow, Warsaw), via JAT or other airlines. In addition to marketing Belgrade as its new gateway to Europe, Qantas was providing three different stopover excursions to other regions of Yugoslavia, with prices ranging from $39 to $137, for three days of sightseeing in Belgrade or visits to Sarajevo, Mostar, and the Adriatic coast.

Qantas advertisement for Belgrade flights » Qantas office map in Belgrade

Article published in The Sydney Morning Herald: “Belgrade, the new gateway to Europe” » 1975

At the Slavija Hotel in Belgrade, room 322, Qantas opened its first office in Belgrade in 1975. In 1980, the office was relocated to a new location, Strahinjića Bana Street 51. When computer equipment was installed in the new office that same year, it allowed for quick bookings during the purchase process, making the Qantas office one of the most up to date in the Yugoslav capital.

JAT advertisements announcing new flights, published in German (featuring famous Yugoslav model Ljiljana Tica) and in Russian language: “Every Tuesday and Friday, JAT’s scheduled service, Belgrade-Singapore-Sydney. Links to all the main cities in Europe. Yugoslav Airlines” » 1975

It is impossible to overlook the event that attracted the attention of local as well as global media when remembering the history of the flights to Australia. On February 13, 1978, Marija Todeva from Macedonia gave birth to a boy as she was flying from Belgrade to Sydney aboard a JAT Boeing 707 (reg. YU-AGI). Based on the available information, there had only been one previous case in aviation history, which gives significant importance to this event. The preceding flight from Skopje to Belgrade was delayed, and Maria was onboard that flight as well, so there was the possibility of missing the flight to Sydney. However, the JAT operations centre postponed JU600's departure, intending to wait for the passengers from Skopje because of the high volume of transfers. This way, Marija didn't miss the flight and boarded the aircraft to Sydney, where her husband, Stojan, was waiting.

Front page of the Sydney Daily Telegraph noting the birth of Jatko on board JAT flight to Sydney » 1978

When Marija began experiencing severe contractions two hours before landing, the first class cabin was converted into a "delivery room". It was interesting that Marija wasn't showing any signs of pregnancy or her upcoming delivery, and that there was another pregnant lady on the flight too whom the crew paid particular attention. The success of the delivery was greatly aided by the professionalism of the entire JAT crew aboard the B707. Radoje Rakočević-Roki, the purser, and the other crew members delivered the baby. High-proof duty-free whiskey was used to disinfect the "instruments", and the entire birth process took only fifteen minutes. Captain Žika Maljković descended the aircraft to 8.000 meters (the optimal altitude for people who don’t feel well), the airspeed was set to the maximum, and the cabin temperature increased. It was decided to continue the flight and only make an emergency landing as a last resort because of the captain's prior encounters with Alice Springs Airport (in central Australia) and its limited equipment, even though the flight crew was in continuous communication with the airport's ATC as an alternate airport.

“Air-born baby” Jatko Todev, celebrating his third birthday » Sydney, 1981

JAT Boeing 707 departed with 106 passengers on board and landed with 107. The baby was formally registered as a Yugoslav citizen a few days later, under the name Jatko Todev in the Yugoslav consulate. YU-AGI is listed as Jatko's birthplace on his birth certificate. Jatko was also given the lifetime privilege of flying for free with JAT to any destination in the world, but he never used this privilege. Even during the company's most challenging years, in the 1990s, when it had already ceased operating flights to Australia, JAT never forgot Jatko's birthday and continued to send birthday cards.

Another memorable event occurred in 1975 when a brand-new Boeing 747SP at the same time landed at Belgrade Airport alongside Qantas' Boeing 747. During its worldwide presentation tour, the Boeing 747SP set the record for the longest continuous flight of its type by flying nonstop from Mexico City to Belgrade. As the first wide-body aircraft in its fleet, JAT would formally order this type of aircraft in 1977. It was intended to fly to Australia, among other long-haul destinations.

Boeing 747SP (Special Performance) advertisement published in Yugoslav magazine » Render of the Boeing 747SP in JAT livery » 1975

Boeing 747SP at Belgrade Airport during presentation for JAT » 1975

Due to political and financial factors, JAT changed its order for the aircraft to a competing manufacturer, the McDonnell Douglas, opting for the DC-10-30 instead. This aircraft made its first flight as JU602 to Sydney in May 1979. Therefore, Sydney became the first destination in EX-YU aviation history where two distinct wide-body aircraft types, flying under the liveries of two national carriers, at the same time flew in scheduled service. With the flights to Beijing operated by JAT (DC-10) and Boeing 767 by CAAC (later Air China) in the late 1980s, Sydney would be the only route from Belgrade that was flown by two different kinds of wide-body jets. Then again, in 2024, Belgrade was linked with Guangzhou, which is currently served by two “big” jets, Air Serbia's Airbus A330-200 and China Southern Airlines' Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Maybe now is a good time to remember Captain Dragan Vraneš, the first Yugoslav pilot to fly the Boeing 747. He was based in Singapore in the 1980s.

JAT DC-10 taxiing for the first time at Sydney Airport » 1979

JAT greatly improved its level of service on flights to Australia with the arrival of the DC-10. The amount of cargo also increased dramatically, from the limit of 5 tons that the B707 could carry to as much as 15 tons, in addition to the increase in passenger seats to 282. Blocking a specific number of seats on the DC-10 for cargo was therefore not unusual. JAT began operating flights to Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, that same year. However, JAT reduced the frequency of flights to once a week because of an interstate agreement that restricted the number of seats that companies could provide. The popular B707 no longer flew to Australia as the number of DC-10s in the fleet increased. It was only deployed as a replacement aircraft for the DC-10 when the 10s were undergoing scheduled maintenance or experienced technical issues.

JAT DC-10s: At the gate at Melbourne Airport by Rob Finlayson » Melbourne Airport, 1984 » OO-SLA nicknamed “Slavica”, leased from SABENA at Melbourne Airport, 1987 by Reinhard Zinabold » Melbourne Airport, 1979 » YU-AMA “Nikola Tesla” taxiing, Sydney Airport » Melbourne Airport, 1980s

In the summer of 1981, JAT signed an extension of the agreement that expanded the number of flights to two, operating the Belgrade-Kuwait-Singapore-Melbourne-Sydney route. With the Australian government's consent, JAT started landing in Dubai that year instead of Kuwait, mainly as a result of the massive meat exports to Arab nations from Australia. Simultaneously, Qantas upgraded its flight schedule to two flights during the summer, with QF6 operating on the Belgrade-Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne-Sydney route on Thursdays and landing in Perth on Sundays. New QF tariffs were announced with a deadline of up to 270 days for booking a return flight and the option to stay in other cities since the sale of tickets was permitted on the route from Belgrade to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Owing to the surge in demand, Qantas launched in-flight magazines and brochures in addition to in-flight announcements in Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian for the first time. Considering that Yugoslavs preferred to bring more luggage, Qantas also provided a discounted rate in this segment.

Qantas advertisements in Cyrillic: “Australia is not far away“» 1984

Even though the flights to Australia had been scheduled from Belgrade, JAT frequently extended its flights to some cities in EX-YU, particularly during the peak summer months of the year. There were records of nonstop flights from Kuwait/Dubai to Split or Zagreb, after which the aircraft would carry on to Belgrade. Some flights additionally departed from Skopje or Ohrid between1980 Anna 1982, flying via Belgrade before continuing on its regular route to Sydney.

JAT advertisement announcing the introduction of DC-10s on flights to Yugoslavia, 1979 » JAT ad published in Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald: 'The lowest fares ever to Europe & YU”, 1979 » Ad for Macedonian travel agency “Vardar” based in Australia offering JAT and Qantas tickets, managed by Boris and Zaga Doborsavlevi, 1980s

In 1970, when the first flights to Australia began, JAT opened its first office in Sydney. At first, JAT's office was located at 1 Bligh Street on the second floor (opened in 1970) and later moved to a new location, at 126–130 Phillip Street in downtown Sydney, not far from Saint Mary's Cathedral and just a 15-minute walk from the well-known Sydney Opera House. Additionally, JAT had its own sales offices in other cities. The initially established Melbourne office was situated at 500 Collins Street. In 1977, a new office with ten staff members was opened in the city's business district at 124 Exhibition Street. Given that JAT had never launched direct flights to Perth and that passengers could only connect to flights in Melbourne or Sydney, Perth, Australia's fifth-most-populous city at the time, also had an "offline" sales office. The office was situated at 111 St. Georges Terrace in the center of Perth. In the same status, offline, were Brisbane and Adelaide offices. It should be noted that JAT later operated several charter flights each year to Perth as the Yugoslav diaspora in the city began to grow.

JAT DC-10, for the first time at the gate at Melbourne Airport, 1979 » JAT offices, Sydney and Melbourne, 1980s

JAT Sydney office letter to the lucky winner of a free return ticket » 1981

Qantas ceased operations between Sydney and Belgrade after 12 years of operation in 1987. The main commercial reasons were the decreased flight demand, which was conditioned, among other things, on Yugoslav nationals' stopping to emigrate to Australia. Like many other ancillary routes, Belgrade was also discontinued, while Qantas continued focusing on flights to its European hubs of London, Frankfurt and Rome.

Qantas' flights remained in operation until the end of May 1987, whereas the final departure from Belgrade was on April 2, 1987. Some of the passengers were rebooked onto JAT's flights to Athens and subsequently on flight QF16 to Sydney, others were switched to JAT's flight to Australia.

New Belgrade blocks 45 and 61 residents still vividly remember the QF "The Queen of Sky" at sunset on hot summer evenings during its final approach towards Belgrade Airport's runway 30.

Qantas Boeing 747 at designated gate C4 at Belgrade Airport, 1980s » Qantas ads, 1980s

JAT continued to operate flights to the “kangaroo continent” for the next five years. In 1988, the Adriatic Club Class for business travellers was introduced on the DC-10s, where the forward cabin was furnished with 34 Travel-lux seats that could be reclined into a semi-prone position. The seats were wide enough and had the right kind of footrest to enable the user to rest during a long journey. The gap between the rows had been increased and the number of seats in a row reduced so that passengers were never more than one seat away from the aisle. In-flight service was, also, considerably upgraded. New high-quality meals were served exclusively in China dishes; a wide range of Yugoslav and international drinks were on offer, free of charge, and a series of "extras" were available to make the flight pass more quickly and smoothly. These included top-quality electronic earphones to listen to in-flight movies or music, magazines and newspapers from home and abroad, playing cards, eyeshades for sleep, and even slippers. Specially trained cabin crew were responsible for providing all Adriatic Club Class services. To speed up formalities, special counters for ticket purchasing and check-in were set up, and priority baggage delivery was introduced after landing.

JAT Adriatic Club Class onboard DC-10 to Australia » 1988

Unfortunately, JAT had to suspend all international traffic for the first time due to UN sanctions. On June 1, 1992, the final DC-10 aircraft, JU603, from Sydney and Melbourne via Singapore and Dubai, arrived in Belgrade early in the morning. More than 70 members of the JAT crew, who regularly operated on flights to Australia, joined the passengers on board. It's interesting to note how nervous the crew was on the aircraft from Australia via Dubai. Just a few minutes into the flight from Dubai, sanctions were imposed. The pilots anticipated that they would not be permitted to fly across the majority of countries en route to Belgrade. Instead, they received pleasant greetings from traffic controllers in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, and Bulgaria. "Good luck, we'll see you soon"', the Cypriot traffic controllers memorably remarked. Despite numerous announcements and good wishes, flights from Belgrade to Australia never resumed, and given current aviation trends, it seems unlikely that they will soon.

JAT DC-10s: Landing at Sydney Airport by Rob Finlayson » World Airways DC-10 (N107WA) leased by JAT at Melbourne Airport 1980s » Leased TU-TAL from Air Afrique at Sydney by Grahame Hutchison, 1986 » YU-AMA at the gate, Sydney Airport, 1980s»

JAT ad: “Twenty years of serving Australia” » 1990

Over half a million passengers were carried without any major incident since flights to Australia were launched. Without the committed participation of all EX-YU aviation services, something like that would not have been possible. Perhaps this is the best moment to mention those who were in charge of flights from Yugoslavia to "The Land Down Under". First and foremost, Avram Avramović, the oldest living Serbian and Yugoslav pilot, is 102 years old. Avram was the first pilot to take control of the Boeing 707 delivery flight, YU-AGA, and he has since flown numerous times on flights to the south. Also, pilots Kosta Bojović, Stevan Popov, Vladimir Šams, Duško Veselinović, Bogoljub Boća Višnjić, Vladimir Vodopivec, Dragutin Šaro Simonović, and many others, as well as flight engineers, cabin crew members, and mechanics.

Captain Avram Avramović after delivery flight of the first Boeing 707 for JAT, 1970 » Captain Bogoljub Višnjić and crew pictured at Sydney Airport, after the first scheduled flight to Australia, 1975 » Captain Kosta Bojović and the crew in front of B707 »

Captain Vladimir Šams in the cockpit of the B707 somewhere over Indian Ocean, 1970s » Captain Kosta Bojović at the commands of the DC-10, heading south, 1980s » Purser Katarina Đorđević and the crew pictured at Singapore Airport, 1975

Sources:

• · Short History of Aviation in Serbia, Janić Čedomir, Petrović Ognjan, 2011;

• · JAT inflight magazine: JAT Review and JAT New Review;

• · International aviation publications, Department of Transport, Australia, 1975-1987;

• · JAT: The story of Yugoslav airlines, Čedomir Janić, Grizelj Jug, Lukač Sergije, 1987

• · JAT: A seventy years-long flight, Kovač Lidija, Simišić, Jovo, Janić, Čedomir, Pršić Milutin, 1997

• · JAT: More Than Flying: eight decades of Aeroput and JAT, Simišić Jovo, Janić Čedomir, 2007

• · There was once a JAT, Simišić Jovo, 2022;

• · An airman's life path, Kosta Bojović, 2018;

• · Politika newspapers and magazines.

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