How Did The Yugoslav War Of The 1990s Affect Jat Airways?

Jat Airways, the former Yugoslavia's national airline, was essentially crippled by the Yugoslav War and the aftermath of the fighting and ethnic hatred during the mid-1990s. Founded in 1927 as Aeroput, Jat had a long history in the commercial aviation business and by 1985 the airline had become one of the largest in the Eastern bloc, carrying over 5 million passengers a year and serving 80 destinations.

The break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992 and the consequent hostilities brought a rapid end to Jat's fairly extensive network of flights. All international flights were suspended and the airline only retained about 4 regular, domestic routes. Within a year, the flag carrier truly became a shadow of its former self. Jat was permitted by the UN to resume its international routes following the Dayton Accord of 1994.

Jat is expected to rebuild its long-haul network, which has yet to recover from the near collapse of the 1990s, and may begin serving destinations such as New York, Chicago and Toronto in the next few years.

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