Sarajevo introduced the first airline before the World War II.
The airline Belgrade -Sarajevo- Podgorica was launched in 1930 and Belgrade Aeroput was the company that carried out this airline. During that time, this company used the airport in Rajlovac.
Aeroput in 1936 introduced an additional line to Dubrovnik. Since 1938 had regular flights to Dubrovnik -Sarajevo-Zagreb-Vienna-Brno-Prague.
According to the official website of the Sarajevo Airport, the beginning of the World War II caused the suspension of all civil aviation activities throughout the entire territory of former Yugoslavia. After the war, practically from 1947, it re-established the regular airline toward Sarajevo, the lines between Sarajevo, Belgrade and Zagreb. The transport was performed by the new Yugoslav-Soviet company JUSTA and used the Butmir airport for its activities. This company operated for more than a year due to the decision of former Yugoslavia government. The new company JAT took over. The majority of JAT’s fleet at the time consisted of the aircraft Dakota (DC-3) with 24 passenger seats. The legendary DC-3 was operational at all times following 22 years.
Construction of new Sarajevo airport started due to the increased demand and the introduction of new types of jet aircraft which required a solid concrete base area. The new Sarajevo airport was decided to be located in Sarajevo Polje, close to the existing airport Butmir. The construction began in 1965, and was completed in June 1969, when opened the new airport Sarajevo – Ilidža, as was officially called back then.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
